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John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
The world John Wick wants to abandon has no interest in respecting his wishes. When an old peer comes to claim John's skills due to a debt John owes, he returns to the tightly controlled economy of assassination not suspecting the treachery which lies in wait. Chad Stahelski directs John Wick: Chapter 2, with the screenplay written by Derek Kolstad, and stars Keanu Reeves.
Start with the currency. What token does one character want, what does the token stand for, and what will forces in opposition to that character do to obtain it? With John Wick: Chapter 2 (Chapter 2 moving forward), director Chad Stahelski and screenwriter Derek Kolstad pull the curtain back on an economy based on currency that would please Charon. Hard disks, markers of death, may be exchanged for tools of death, armor against death, or put forward as a reward for the death of another. This is why the Continental master Winston (Ian McShane) insists no blood be spilled on his grounds. In order for the system to remain solid, no one can indulge in the blood high of their own supply.
So begins a meditation on the result of an economy of violence in Chapter 2. That initially seems at odds with the self-aware projection of Buster Keaton onto the bare exterior of a building. This seems to be Stahelski's way of poking the audience in the ribs, explaining the violence to follow should be taken as a joke. There's little funny about Chapter 2, and it's owed in part to the less explored aspects of Buster Keaton's work. Buster Keaton was a fearless and genius physical performer, that much is true, but his work is steeped in the melancholy of yearning for a goal that is perpetually in view and just out of reach.
Lance Reddick, as a different Charon, shares a quietly amusing moment with John's unnamed dog as one recognizes the other's love and respect for John.
I wonder what Buster Keaton would have thought of Keanu Reeves, who returns as the titular assassin John Wick. My heart and gut tell me Buster Keaton would have loved Reeves. Who else in Hollywood embodies the serenity of violence as well as Reeves? Who else could make John Wick's movements so purposeful yet still find the pain in that supposed serenity? Chapter 2's ending sequence with John battling it out in an art installation of mirrors while a soothing voice talks about a journey of the soul isn't for the sole purpose of outdoing John Wick's action scenes. It's an opportunity to see Reeves in his element as John, fearing the damnation which may fall in on his life like so many easily shattered mirrors, and being forced to watch himself as death's emissary.
These realizations caused me to have an emotional reaction to Chapter 2 I was not prepared for. While the action scenes of franchises like The Fast and the Furious have settled into a groove of sentimental bonding, Stahelski has infused his characters with uncommon intimacy. An early confrontation with Gianna D'Antonio (Claudia Gerini) does not proceed with the gunplay we've come to expect from John. Instead, in one of several moments that must make Michael Mann proud, two supposed foes allow one another to take a break from the spiritual weight of dealing in death. As she makes her choice, he supports her with tenderness, and the two stare down likely oblivion as comrades instead of enemies.
If the spiritual component of Gianna's choice isn't clear from their conversation and John's tenderness, then the not so subtle religious posture Gianna ends on will make it so. The religious undercurrent grows even stronger when John is betrayed by Santino (Riccardo Scamarcio) using coins akin to another famous betrayal involving Judas. All this might seem over-the-top but it's important to consider Stahelski's background in earlier action movies. He was the stand-in for Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce who made his body his religion, in The Crow and Stahelski is aware of the spiritual potential of violence. That's where the soundtrack, humming along with synths as drums punctuate notes of violence, and the often romantic lighting enhance the intimacy of violence rather than distancing our perspective from it.
There's nothing as silky smooth as the first half of the Red Circle Club massacre from John Wick, but that's due to Chapter 2's focus on disrupting the economy of murder overall instead of small sections of it. As a result, the scope of the action scenes is expanded greatly. One excellent sequence sees multiple assassins get the note that John Wick is worth $7 million, and editor Evan Schiff seamlessly blends multiple attacks in musical rhythm as John struggles with a system that wants him dead. This culminates in a phenomenal duel between John and Cassian (Common), Gianna's bodyguard, where their professional obligation to keep their struggle silent threatens to burst with each silenced gunshot echoed with drums on the soundtrack.
The violence of Chapter 2 still leaves room for compassion and lessons in sacrifice.
The only complaint I have, and it's more mild disappointment than detriment, is John Leguizamo's returning role as Aurelio. Most of the characters are hilariously mannered to keep the bloodshed in as professional a light as possible. The funniest of these moments is the barely contained excitement of the gun merchant as he relishes the line, "May I suggest...the Benelli M4?" Leguizamo is a performer who leaks so much energy that I understand why his role was more limited this time around. The larger scope of Chapter 2 might have faltered at the seams if Leguizamo was given the freedom to pull on them.
Less Leguizamo is a mild tick running against my enjoyment of Chapter 2, which achieves depths of contemplation John Wick hinted at. Reeves is accustomed to playing a messiah for laughs, as in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, or as a meditation on reality, as his Neo was for The Matrix. He is no messiah in Chapter 2, but a flawed saint grasping for a moment of redemption that requires him to go against the very system that makes the best use of his talents. When next we see John - and I do hope we see him again soon - I wonder what life he will have made for himself, and what currency can rouse a man yearning for peace with no further need of coin.
Directed by Chad Stahelski.
Screenplay written by Derek Kolstad.
Starring Keanu Reeves.
Power Rangers (2017)
A Cure for Wellness (2017)
Detour (2017)
Filed under: 2017, DVD Reviews, Like Leave a comment
The Boy Who Stole The Sun – Devlog #3 » « Changing Reels Episode 24 – C.R.A.Z.Y.
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Articles about Biomaterials
For the Biomaterials Industry - Hundreds of Biomaterials Articles! Polymers, Composites, Ceramics, Alloys...
Record 3201 to 3220
Physico-chemical considerations of titanium as a biomaterial
Tengvall, P. and I. Lundstrom (1992), Clin Mater 9(2): 115-34.
Abstract: Physico-chemical properties of titanium are discussed. Special attention is paid to those of amorphous TiO 2 that contact tissues in vivo. In aqueous environments TiO 2. (aq) has low ion-formation tendency and low reactivity with macromolecules. This is accompanied by low toxicity. Titanium does not facilitate reactive oxygen radical generation during inflammatory conditions as observed in in-vitro experiments. The outermost layers of the oxide are in the Ti(IV) oxidation state, although using electron spin resonance (ESR) techniques, formation of Ti(III) is observed at atmospheric conditions. The impact of similarities between water and TiO 2 is speculated upon, and the physico-chemical properties of titanium are tentatively linked to some in-vivo consequences.
Physicochemical evaluation of silica-glass fiber reinforced polymers for prosthodontic applications
Meric, G., J. E. Dahl, et al. (2005), Eur J Oral Sci 113(3): 258-64.
Abstract: This investigation was designed to formulate silica-glass fiber reinforced polymeric materials. Fused silica-glass fibers were chosen for the study. They were heat-treated at various temperatures (500 degrees C, 800 degrees C and 1100 degrees C), silanized, sized and incorporated in two modified resin mixtures (A and B). The flexural properties in dry and wet conditions were tested and statistically analyzed, and the content of residual methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer, dimensional changes with temperature, water sorption and solubility were determined. Woven fibers [36.9% (wt/wt)], heat-treated at 500 degrees C, gave the highest strength values for the polymeric composites (an ultimate transverse strength of 200 Mpa and a flexural modulus of 10 GPa) compared with the fibers heat-treated at other temperatures. There was no statistically significant difference in the measured flexural properties between resins A and B regarding fiber treatment and water storage time. These fiber composites had a small quantity of residual MMA content [0.37 +/- 0.007% (wt/wt)] and very low water solubility, indicating good biocompatibility. It was suggested that silica-glass fibers could be used for reinforcement as a result of their anticipated good qualities in aqueous environments, such as the oral environment.
Physicochemical model of alginate-poly-L-lysine microcapsules defined at the micrometric/nanometric scale using ATR-FTIR, XPS, and ToF-SIMS
Tam, S. K., J. Dusseault, et al. (2005), Biomaterials 26(34): 6950-61.
Abstract: Alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsules are currently being investigated as a means to immuno-isolate transplanted cells, but their biocompatibility is limited. In this study, we verified the hypothesis that poly-L-lysine (PLL), which is immunogenic when unbound, is exposed at the APA microcapsule surface. To do so, we analysed the microcapsule membrane at the micrometric/nanometric scale using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. The results indicate that PLL and alginate molecules interact within the membrane. PLL exists in considerable amounts near the surface, contributing to the majority of the carbon within the outermost 100 Angstroms of the membrane. PLL was also detected at the true surface (the outermost monolayer) of the microcapsules. The exposure of PLL does not appear to result from defects in the outer alginate coating. This physicochemical model of APA microcapsules could explain their immunogenicity and will play an important role in the optimization of the microcapsule design.
Physicochemical properties and bioactivity of fungal chitin and chitosan
Wu, T., S. Zivanovic, et al. (2005), J Agric Food Chem 53(10): 3888-94.
Abstract: Chitinous material was extracted from mycelia of Aspergillus niger and Mucor rouxii grown in yeast peptone dextrose broth for 15 and 21 days, respectively. The extracted material was characterized for purity, degree of acetylation, and crystallinity and tested for antibacterial and eliciting properties. The maximum glucosamine level determined in the mycelium of A. niger was 11.10% dw and in the mycelium of M. rouxii was 20.13% dw. On the basis of the stepwise extraction of freeze-dried mycelia, it appeared that M. rouxii mycelia contained both chitin and chitosan, whereas A. niger contained only chitin. The yields of crude chitin from A. niger and M. rouxii were 24.01 and 13.25%, respectively, and the yield of chitosan from M. rouxii was 12.49%. Significant amounts (7.42-39.81%) of glucan were associated with chitinous compounds from both species and could not be eliminated by the extraction method used. The degrees of acetylation were determined to be 76.53 and 50.07% for chitin from A. niger and M. rouxii, respectively, and 19.5% for M. rouxii chitosan. The crystallinity of fungal chitin and chitosan was estimated to be less intense than in corresponding materials from shrimp shells. The extracted chitin and chitosan in a concentration of 0.1% reduced Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 2576 counts by 0.5-1.5 logs during a 4 day incubation in tryptic soy broth at 25 degrees C. Furthermore, all tested chitinous materials from fungal sources significantly reduced lesions caused by Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum in harvested apples.
Physico-chemical properties of silk fibroin membrane as a biomaterial
Minoura, N., M. Tsukada, et al. (1990), Biomaterials 11(6): 430-4.
Abstract: A water-insoluble silk fibroin membrane was prepared by immersing a silk fibroin membrane as cast in 50 vol% aqueous methanol solution for different periods of time at 25 degrees C. To use the membrane as a biomaterial, oxygen and water vapour permeability, transparency, mechanical property and enzymatic degradation behaviour in vitro of the membrane in the wet state were investigated. These physico-chemical properties changed according to the condition of the methanol treatment. The membrane had oxygen permeability, water vapour permeability, transparency and biodegradability.
Physico-chemical surface characterization of hyaluronic acid derivatives as a new class of biomaterials
Barbucci, R., A. Magnani, et al. (1993), J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 4(3): 245-73.
Abstract: Three hyaluronic acid derivatives with different types and/or percentages of esterification, were analyzed by means of static contact angle measurements, SEM, ESCA, ATR/FT-IR, WAXS, DSC and TGA. The physico-chemical characterization of the three different samples, in both dry and wet state, was provided in terms of surface and bulk properties. ESCA and infrared analyses showed that the surface composition of all samples differs from that of the bulk. The hydrophilic-hydrophobic character of the samples changed according to the chemical composition as shown by ESCA and contact angle measurements. Both infrared and contact angle measurements reveal that surface restructuring occurred upon hydration for all the samples and the greater the hydrophilic character of the sample, the greater and faster the restructuring phenomenon. A clear picture of the different types of chemical groups has been established at different depth for the three materials.
Physiological and cell biological aspects of perfusion culture technique employed to generate differentiated tissues for long term biomaterial testing and tissue engineering
Minuth, W. W., K. Schumacher, et al. (2000), J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 11(5): 495-522.
Abstract: Optimal results in biomaterial testing and tissue engineering under in vitro conditions can only be expected when the tissue generated resembles the original tissue as closely as possible. However, most of the presently used stagnant cell culture models do not produce the necessary degree of cellular differentiation, since important morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics disappear, while atypical features arise. To reach a high degree of cellular differentiation and to optimize the cellular environment, an advanced culture technology allowing the regulation of differentiation on different cellular levels was developed. By the use of tissue carriers, a variety of biomaterials or individually selected scaffolds could be tested for optimal tissue development. The tissue carriers are to be placed in perfusion culture containers, which are constantly supplied with fresh medium to avoid an accumulation of harmful metabolic products. The perfusion of medium creates a constant microenvironment with serum-containing or serum-free media. By this technique, tissues could be used for biomaterial or scaffold testing either in a proliferative or in a postmitotic phase, as is observed during natural development. The present paper summarizes technical developments, physiological parameters, cell biological reactions, and theoretical considerations for an optimal tissue development in the field of perfusion culture.
Physiological strains induce differentiation in human osteoblasts cultured on orthopaedic biomaterial
Di Palma, F., M. Douet, et al. (2003), Biomaterials 24(18): 3139-51.
Abstract: We have developed an in vitro mechanical stretching model of osteoblastic cells cultured on metallic biomaterials in order to study the effects of mechanical strain on osteointegration of orthopaedic implants. Titanium alloy discs coated with alumina or hydroxyapatite were used as substrates. Three Dynacell devices were especially designed to apply cyclic strains on rigid biomaterials. The regimen (600 mu epsilon strains, 0.25Hz) was defined on the basis of physiological data and estimated deformation on hip stem prostheses. The performances of these apparatus were reproducible and provided controlled deformations. Human osteosarcoma cell line MG-63, human osteoblasts obtained from primary cultures and ROS 17/2.8 rat osteosarcoma cells were used as cell models. Cell behaviour was assessed in terms of growth and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity by in situ assays for two regimens: 15-min deformations repeated three times a day to mimic rehabilitation exercises and 24-h continuous deformations. We demonstrated that continuous deformation did not affect the growth and ALP activity of MG-63 cells, in contrast with sequential deformations which had no effect on cell number, but which stimulated ALP activity after 5 days of stretching. This sequential regimen can also modify the behaviour of human bone-derived cells resulting in increased proliferation after 5 days and stimulation of ALP activity after 15 days. ROS 17/2.8 rat osteosarcoma cells submitted to sequential deformations responded faster than other cell lines by increasing their ALP activity only after 1 day of stretching. Like MG-63 cells, proliferation of the ROS 17/2.8 rat osteosarcoma cell line was not affected by sequential deformations. This study suggests that short, repeated deformations defined to mimic rehabilitation exercises recommended after prostheses implantation are more likely to exert beneficial effects on implanted bone than continuous strains.
Piezoelectric contrast materials for ultrasound imaging
Towe, B. C. (2005), IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control 52(9): 1483-8.
Abstract: Piezoelectric ceramics and polymers can be used as a type of marker and contrast material for medical ultrasound imaging systems. High-frequency electrical signals are detected from surface electrodes when these materials are introduced into conducting media such as tissue and scanned by ultrasound imaging systems. Detected signals are applied to the imaging circuits of a modified ultrasound system such that they display a unique type of electrical image that shows the piezomaterial's polarization, shape, and position at arbitrarily high contrast compared to the conventional ultrasound acoustic image. The resulting piezoelectric image can be merged in real-time with conventional ultrasound acoustic imaging to form a composite image. This approach is of interest in the development of improved techniques for imaging medical devices that are implanted or otherwise introduced into the body.
Plasma- and chemical-induced graft polymerization on the surface of starch-based biomaterials aimed at improving cell adhesion and proliferation
Elvira, C., F. Yi, et al. (2003), J Mater Sci Mater Med 14(2): 187-94.
Abstract: Plasma and chemical induced graft polymerization of acrylic monomers on starch-based biomaterials has been performed with the aim to improve cell adhesion and proliferation on the surface of the polymers, in order to adequate their properties for bone tissue engineering scaffolding applications. Plasma and chemical surface activation was aimed to induce the polymerization of acrylic polar monomers being carried out by applying a radio frequency plasma and expose the samples to a mixture of Ar/O2, or by immersion in a H2O2/(NH4)2S2O8 solution with UV radiation, respectively. Both procedures were followed by the graft polymerization of the corresponding monomers. Polymer grafting was analyzed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and by contact angle measurements. Properties such as mechanical performance, swelling degree, and degradation behavior, as well as bioactivity, have been studied and compared for the different activation methods. Finally, preliminary cell adhesion and proliferation tests were performed, using goat bone marrow cells, showing a remarkable improvement with respect to original non-surface modified starch-based biomaterials.
Plasma coagulation response to surfaces with nanoscale chemical heterogeneity
Miller, R., Z. Guo, et al. (2006), Biomaterials 27(2): 208-15.
Abstract: A mixed film bearing nanoscale domains of one chemical functionality surrounded by another chemical functionality is shown to prolong material-induced coagulation of whole human blood plasma. In comparison, surfaces with uniform silane chemistry or physical mixtures of control surfaces bearing two different, uniform silane chemistries are found to be much more efficient activators of plasma coagulation on a per-unit-area basis. Binary mixed films are deposited on glass substrates by the sequential adsorption of 0.0001% 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) followed by 0.1% n-butyltrichlorosilane (BTS). Creation of APS islands in a sea of BTS is confirmed by atomic force microscopy in friction mode. Results suggest that some yet-to-be-determined interfacial phenomena, perhaps associated with protein adsorption near the interface, may be altered by this nanoscale spatially distributed chemical heterogeneity, causing a decrease in contact activation.
Plasma lithography--thin-film patterning of polymeric biomaterials by RF plasma polymerization I: Surface preparation and analysis
Goessl, A., M. D. Garrison, et al. (2001), J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 12(7): 721-38.
Abstract: Plasma lithography, combining plasma deposition with photolithography, is described as a versatile method to manufacture all-polymeric substrates with thin-film patterns for applications in biomedical engineering. Patterns of a hydrophobic fluorocarbon plasma polymer with feature sizes between 5 and 100 microm were deposited on a base substrate in a lift-off process: an intermediate tetraglyme plasma polymer layer provides non-fouling properties to the base substrate. Careful analysis of critical process parameters identified the narrow window of process conditions that led to the formation of functional surface patterns. High pattern fidelity, aspect ratios, and resolution of the patterns are demonstrated by atomic force microscopy. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) were used to characterize the surfaces, showing good retention of the original chemical structure of the pattern components throughout the process. SIMS imaging was used for specific chemical imaging of the components. Potential applications for the patterned polymer films, e.g., for studying cell behavior in vitro in dependence of shape and size of adhering cells, are discussed.
Plasma processing of biomaterials
Piskin, E. (1992), J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 4(1): 45-60.
Abstract: Surface properties of biomaterials can easily be modified by glow-discharge plasma processing for very diverse biomedical applications. Activated carbon granules can be coated with a very thin polymeric membrane by plasma polymerization to improve their blood compatibilities without changing their adsorption capabilities. The problems associated with the microporous polypropylene oxygenator membranes can be eliminated by coating with a nonporous thin polymeric film in a glow-discharge reactor. Cell attachment and growth on polystyrene microcarriers can significantly be increased by alkylamine plasma treatment. Physical and chemical properties of polyurethane biomaterials can be tailor-made by plasma modification.
Plasma processing of surfaces
Burslem, R. and P. Stevenson (2005), Med Device Technol 16(7): 40-1.
Plasma protein adsorption pattern on characterized ceramic biomaterials
Rosengren, A., E. Pavlovic, et al. (2002), Biomaterials 23(4): 1237-47.
Abstract: The protein/biomaterial interactions of three biomaterials used in hard tissue surgery were studied in vitro. A dynamic flow system and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) were used to investigate the adsorption of proteins from diluted human plasma on hydroxyapatite, alumina and zirconia, with regard to total protein binding capacity, relative binding capacity for specific proteins and flow-through and desorption patterns. The ceramics were characterized regarding physicochemical properties; namely, chemical composition by elementary analyses and specific surface, pore volume and pore size distribution using the BET-method and Hg-porosimetry. The materials were found to adsorb a surprisingly low amount of plasma proteins, leaving more than 70% of the surface free. The cellular response will therefore be highly affected by the physico-chemical properties of the material, in contrast to a surface fully covered with proteins. Regarding the adsorption of proteins, most proteins exhibited similar flow-through patterns on the three adsorbents. The exceptions with different flow-through patterns were apolipoprotein D (Apo D), apolipoprotein J (Apo J), complement factor C1s (C1s), complement factor C3 (C3), ceruloplasmin, fibrinogen, alpha1 B glycoprotein and alpha2 HS glycoprotein and serum retinal-binding protein (SRBP). The role of these proteins on acceptance or rejection of implants has to be investigated.
Plasma recalcification as a measure of contact phase activation and heparinization efficacy after contact with biomaterials
Rhodes, N. P. and D. F. Williams (1994), Biomaterials 15(1): 35-7.
Abstract: The rate of plasma clotting was measured in order to investigate two different processes. In both cases normal, pooled platelet-poor plasma was used as a substrate for measurement of clotting. The intrinsic coagulation pathway was studied by bringing a variety of biomaterials into contact with a plasma aliquot and observing the rate of clotting diminish by virtue of factor XII activation. The efficacy of heparinization was investigated by measuring the increase in clotting time of a plasma aliquot during biomaterial contact. In both cases, clotting time was measured turbidometrically. Marked differences in intrinsic pathway activation were observed between a variety of materials. There were clear differences between the materials and the negative and positive controls. The assay showed that heparinized materials could be distinguished from non-heparinized materials and a non-activated plasma control.
Plasma-induced grafted polymerization of acrylic acid and subsequent grafting of collagen onto polymer film as biomaterials
Lee, S. D., G. H. Hsiue, et al. (1996), Biomaterials 17(16): 1599-608.
Abstract: Polyacrylic acid (pAA) was introduced onto Ar-plasma treatment silicone rubber (SR) membrane surfaces by plasma-induced grafted polymerization. Collagen (type III) was also linked with the carboxylic group of pAA grafted onto the SR surface via a carbodiimine agent to obtain a secondary structure of SR. The SR surface properties were characterized by ATR-FTIR, ESCA, contact angle, and SEM. The biocompatibility of the SR surface was evaluated by a culture of cornea epithelial (CE) cells. Subsequently, 75-450 micrograms cm-2 of pAA were obtained on the SR surfaces under different reactive conditions; 3-12 micrograms cm-2 of collagen were linked on modified surfaces of SR. Moreover, ATR-FTIR and ESCA were utilized to confirm the proceedings of these reactions. The hydrophility of the modified SR was measured by a contact angle meter. The values of contact angle for SR grafted with pAA were approximately 45-50 degrees; a 50-55 degrees contact angle on pAA-g-SR to be further linked with collagen was subsequently obtained. Moreover, the influence of surface properties toward migration, growth and attachment of CE cells on the modified surfaces was also examined. Here, untreated SR was used as a control. Experimental results indicated that the number of CE cells attached onto the controlled SR was negligible. The attachment of cells onto pAA-grafted surfaces was clearly observed and peusopoda occurred; however, cell growth was depressed. This depression may have been caused by the acid environment of the pAA-grafted membrane. Nevertheless, both cell attachment and growth onto collagen-linked surfaces were significant. In addition, the morphology of the cells attached onto this surface was considered normal for primary cells. Collagen introduced on the SR surface was not denatured, i.e the natural properties of collagen were maintained. The results obtained in this study will hopefully lead to the successful development of modified SR for clinical applications.
Plasma-treated nanostructured TiO(2) surface supporting biomimetic growth of apatite
Liu, X., X. Zhao, et al. (2005), Biomaterials 26(31): 6143-50.
Abstract: Although some types of TiO(2) powders and gel-derived films can exhibit bioactivity, plasma-sprayed TiO(2) coatings are always bioinert, thereby hampering wider applications in bone implants. We have successfully produced a bioactive nanostructured TiO(2) surface with grain size smaller than 50 nm using nanoparticle plasma spraying followed by hydrogen plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII). The hydrogen PIII nano-TiO(2) coating can induce bone-like apatite formation on its surface after immersion in a simulated body fluid. In contrast, apatite cannot form on either the as-sprayed TiO(2) surfaces (both <50 nm grain size and >50 nm grain size) or hydrogen-implanted TiO(2) with grain size larger than 50 nm. Hence, both a hydrogenated surface that gives rise to negatively charged functional groups on the surface and small grain size (<50 nm) that enhances surface adsorption are crucial to the growth of apatite. Introduction of surface bioactivity to plasma-sprayed TiO(2) coatings, which are generally recognized to have excellent biocompatibility and corrosion resistance as well as high bonding to titanium alloys, makes them more superior than many current biomedical coatings.
Plasma-treated polystyrene surfaces: model surfaces for studying cell-biomaterial interactions
van Kooten, T. G., H. T. Spijker, et al. (2004), Biomaterials 25(10): 1735-47.
Abstract: Biocompatibility of biomaterials relates, amongst others, to the absence of adverse cellular reactions and modulation of cell adhesion and subsequent responses. With respect to tissue-engineering applications, most materials need to evoke cell adhesion and spreading, while potentially displaying differential cell function. Adhesion has frequently been studied in a controlled fashion, using adhesion-supporting and -inhibiting substrata. The aim of this study is to create a panel of related materials with gradually changing surface characteristics in order to sustain similar individual cell adhesion and spreading, yet different cell population behaviour. A series of polystyrene materials was created with increasing oxygen surface incorporation and, concurrently, decreasing water-contact angles. Individual cells adhered and spread on all surfaces whilst showing well-developed focal adhesions and stress fibres. Cell populations demonstrated a decreased growth on surfaces with lower wettability. The biochemical activity of cell populations was not influenced by the surface treatment, but cell proliferation on surfaces increased with increasing oxygen incorporation. Furthermore, surface coverage with assembled fibronectin matrix was higher on the substrata with higher wettability. Finally, the expression of the adhesion-related proteins cadherin-5, focal adhesion kinase and RhoA was increased on surfaces with higher wettability. Further explorations of the cell biological basis of the observed differential behaviour will give more detailed answers on the rules governing cell-material interactions.
Plasmid delivery in vivo from porous tissue-engineering scaffolds: transgene expression and cellular transfection
Jang, J. H., C. B. Rives, et al. (2005), Mol Ther 12(3): 475-83.
Abstract: Tissue engineering scaffolds capable of sustained plasmid release can promote gene transfer locally and stimulate new tissue formation. We have investigated the scaffold design parameters that influence the extent and duration of transgene expression and have characterized the distribution of transfected cells. Porous scaffolds with encapsulated plasmid were fabricated from poly(lactide-co-glycolide) with a gas foaming procedure, with wet granulation employed to mix the components homogeneously prior to foaming. Wet granulation enhanced plasmid incorporation relative to standard procedures and also enhanced in vivo transgene expression, possibly through the increased loading and maintenance of the scaffold pore structure. The plasmid loading regulated the quantity and duration of transgene expression, with expression for 105 days achieved at the highest dosage. Expression was localized to the implantation site, though the distribution of transfected cells varied with time. Transfected cells were initially observed at the scaffold periphery (day 3), then within the pores and adjacent to the polymer (day 17), and finally throughout the scaffold interior (day 126). Delivery of a plasmid encoding VEGF increased the blood vessel density relative to control. Correlating scaffold design with gene transfer efficiency and tissue formation will facilitate application of plasmid-releasing scaffolds to multiple tissues.
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Six Million Businesses and Shrinking
There are only 6 million active businesses in America. Another 20 million are in name only according to Gallup.
They report that “Of the 6 million, 3.8 million have four or fewer employees,” otherwise known as micro businesses.
According to another study, most micro businesses never want to grow to more than 10 employees, which would place them among the one million businesses today with between 5 to 9 employees.
That means there are “only 2 million small, medium and large businesses in the United States,” including about 1,000 companies in the “big business” category with 10,000 or more employees.
For sources of “dark money” and undue, often opaque influence among lawmakers look to the larger employers, something shown in an investigative piece just re-published in Pacific Standard.
For job creation, however, look to those first two groups, especially micro businesses.
So how do we foster more of these concerns that generate the vast majority of new jobs?
Buy local, obviously.
Some experts point to enforcing regulations evenly along with simplifying some. Most, however, point to making credit more available.
The rub is that over the last 15 years, small business loan volume is down 14% and loans made to micro businesses are down a third.
What happened? One indication is that since 2008 alone, one in four “local banks” have simply vanished.
When I graduated from high school in 1966, more than 7 out of every 10 banks were small, single-office local banks, totally more than 10,000 nationwide.
Branch banking had become the norm by the time I moved to Durham, NC in 1989.
Today, there are half as many commercial banks overall as there were when I graduated from college in 1972 and fewer than 1,000 single-office or truly local banks in the entire country.
Even so, small banks and credit unions make most of the loans to small businesses, including micro businesses. There are just fewer and fewer of them.
Contrary to lobbyists, the decline of small, local banks isn’t due to regulatory reform after the great recession. Click here to download an excellent review of the reasons.
Far more compelling is that this problem began with policy changes more than a decade earlier.
In 1995, small banks and credit unions held 27% of bank market share compared to the 17% held by giant banks.
Today, giant banks control 59% of bank market share, more than five times as much as small banks and credit unions, and just four mega banks control most of that.
Now, the four largest banks alone control 42% of all banking, yet they make a very small share of loans to job creating local businesses. Nor do they play nice with one another.
These four mega-banks alone control nearly four times the amount of banking as all of the remaining small banks and credit unions put together.
In the four years leading up to the great recession about 300 commercial banks disappeared each year but we were creating nearly half as many.
The vanish-rate continues, but we’re creating only 6 new banks a year on average according to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, the source delving into much of these data.
Good policies and lending by small - usually stand-alone local banks -fueled the growth of America’s middle class in the 1960s and 1970s before anti-government rhetoric and deregulation began to hollow it out.
It is likely no coincidence that today this powerful segment of households is rapidly shrinking or that the deaths of businesses now outnumbers the births of new businesses.
As a moderate Independent, fiscally and socially, I find analysis intriguing that shows that nine out of the last ten recessions occurred under Republican presidents while Democratic presidents created nearly twice as many jobs per year.
Of course, this illustrates how intricate and complex economic development is but that the underlying principles always come back to main street as well as the political courage to resist powerful special interests.
It is also ironic that conservative states such as North Carolina where I live regulate cities and local governments from practicing the most basic tenant of economic development – buying local.
Posted by Reyn at 1:37 PM 0 comments
Labels: Buy Local, Entrepreneurship, Lending, Micro Business, Small Business
This Ongoing War 150 Years Later
In North Carolina, it’s no surprise to learn that “since 1960, one third of the world’s arable land has been lost to erosion.” Nor, according to scientists, that “46-58 thousand square miles of forest are lost each year – equivalent to 36 football fields every minute.”
Tar Heels have witnessed the link between depleted soils and deforestation in the decades before the Civil War when more than a third of North Carolinians moved away.
By 1850, 31% of native North Carolinians then living in the United States resided in some other state.
Backwardness regarding slavery and race relations as well as resistance to public education and infrastructure played a big role in the out migration as did poor land use practices by plantations.
It’s well documented by unapologetic historians such as the late Dr. William S. Powell.
I’ve been reading or rereading two others recently, one written the year I was born (1948) entitled From Slavery to Freedom and another just released entitled, The Old North State at War: The North Carolina Civil War Atlas.
Both shed new light.
The latter shows the population breakdown by race and freedom-status broken down by county just prior to the Civil War, as well as the vote by county for or against succession.
You can see a divide back then running down between what is now Durham and Wake/Raleigh with 5 points more slave-holders in Wake.
Wake/Raleigh also had twice the number of slaves as Durham/Orange and nearly three times the number of free Blacks out of 30,463 statewide.
There were a little more than 125,000 households in North Carolina in 1860 and 28.2% owned slaves.
Yet in 1861, Durham/Orange voted by more than 3 to 1 against succession from the Union while Wake/Raleigh voted for it by a few hundred votes.
As the rhetoric heated, the state as a whole was almost evenly split on the issue with a slight nod against. People’s minds back then were more focused on the wealthy paying more in taxes here.
Within weeks though, secessionists won out both because of a general sentiment of “you can’t tell us what to do” and being surrounded by states that had or were succeeding.
The North won the Civil War that resulted, which effectively ended with a surrender in Durham. Thanks to resistance by Southern Generals Lee and Johnston there wasn’t the subsequent guerilla war Southern leaders wanted.
But that didn’t mean war was over.
Another war erupted almost immediately between Democrats who were controlled by white supremacists and Republicans.
Just as a small percentage of the population had monopolized power in North Carolina and kept it backward, then pushed it into a war to defend slavery as a way of life for a few, a similarly small percentage held power in this follow up war.
Political rhetoric is powerful as we still see today. It can close minds more easily than open them, something given comprehensive coverage a few days ago in an On the Media radio show entitled Lies, Lies, Lies.
Republicans lost this follow up war and soon became all but extinct across the South because the party had became divided into an increasingly conflict-weary faction seeking social justice leading to a takeover by its Wall Street wing.
Just as Democrats had become divided into factions over slavery leading up to the Civil War, resulting in President Lincoln’s election, factionalized Republicans lost the follow up-struggle.
Following the South’s defeat and preservation of the Union in the Civil War, reunited Democrats fell sway to the rhetoric of a small fraction of white supremacists who this time sought not only to reinstate limitations on civil liberties, but to virtually annihilate the Republican Party in the South, which they did.
As a result, civil rights in the reunified country were put on hold for another hundred years and even today, seem lodged between ongoing institutionalized bias on one hand and a futile obsession with effacing racist symbols on the other.
The two political parties have switched roles today.
It began gradually in the decades leading up to the 1930s on issues of social and environmental justice, then became increasingly apparent after WWII and symbolized by the 1960s.
As someone who was raised a staunch Republican which I remained until nearly 25, I have been particularly interested in the history of the Republican and Democratic parties.
My Republican roots go back to the party’s founding. But many of those ancestors would no longer be welcome there. People who sense I lean Progressive probably don’t realize that it is the Republican Party that has shifted.
Understanding how the parties have evolved helps me understand how I briefly moved to the left in my mid-20s before finding my comfort zone as an Independent except wherever forced to briefly sign up so I could vote in primaries.
Today it is Republican ideology that seems to view everything as a threat to way of life, dominated by a few who seem to want to annihilate not only Democrats but anyone who dares to be moderate.
We see it in the refusal to negotiate or reach bipartisan agreement, even when Democrats sign on to Republican-generated innovations such as carbon credits or healthcare overhaul using exchanges that emulate the requirement for car insurance.
Further evidence is research showing that the root of Republican opposition to addressing climate change is the knee-jerk stereotyping of anyone concerned about the environment as a “watermelon,” green on the outside, red (as in Commie for you Millennials) on the outside.
The one thing that remains constant is that just as a tiny minority held North Carolina back after the U.S. was founded and the Civil War was fought to preserve the way of life lived by only 28% of Tar Heels, policies here are still driven by a small percentage in power.
The only thing certain is that the pendulum will swing yet again, but not the problem.
The parties may reverse roles yet again one day and apologists, as always, will try to smooth everything over like propagandists did between 1866 and 1966 by transforming the issue of slavery into “states’ rights.”
Democracy truly exists only when a majority of people vote, not just when the vote is a majority of those showing up. Maybe similar to governing boards, popular elections should be valid only when there is a quorum?
As a moderate Independent who more and more has a little “time on him” as they say in my native Idaho, I am more and more aware of the dangers of failing to admit to myths when in pursuit of greatness as a nation or perpetuating a way of life.
I know far too many reasonable Republicans and far too many crazy Democrats to believe the rhetoric when one or the other party gives in to zero sum thinking.
But as President George Washington lamented in 1795, the problem may be in the nature of political parties, meant as a means to help people make decisions but then used as a reason not to think:
“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”
Lament indeed!
Posted by Reyn at 11:33 AM 1 comments
Labels: Civil Rights, Civil War, Democratic Party, Family History, History, Ideology, Independents, Moderates, North Carolina, Partisanship, Personal History, Republican Party, South
An Action Plan for Green Infrastructure
Once again, the U.S. Forest Service and its stakeholders such as the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council have clarified something a few otherwise forward-thinking communities still don’t get.
A community’s urban forest includes “all trees in the city, on public and private property,” including homeowners’ yards as well as school and corporate campuses, 3.8 billion trees overall in America.
The ten year action plan issued several weeks ago includes progress made over the previous ten years as well as overarching principles, metrics, goals, strategies and steps to guide urban forestry efforts through 2026. It also includes strategies at the local level.
Management of an urban forest begins with a plan predicated on a comprehensive community wide inventory and assessment. Many communities, such as the one in North Carolina where I have lived for more than a quarter century, have neither.
But across the South now, 649 communities have management plans, an increase of 43% in the past decade compared to 70% nationwide.
Still, less than half of Americans (47%) live in communities that have programs to plant, protect and maintain their urban forests. More than 40% feel much more needs to be done.
The report is “must reading” for people who care about their communities and should be required for anyone holding or running for elected office.
The report provides supporting metrics useful for public information and that will lessen the tendency of some to either dismiss trees merely as just “nice to have” or those who ironically knee jerk about anything environmental as a threat to their way of life.
One cannot read this report without gleaning that a community’s trees and vegetation are indeed important infrastructure.
Posted by Reyn at 9:01 AM 0 comments
Labels: Green Infrastructure, Tree Canopy, Trees, Urban Forest Master Plans, Urban Forestry
In Pursuit of Dialogue
By necessity I became a pioneer in what is now called “reputation management” during the last half of my now long concluded nearly four decade career in community destination marketing.
This involved standing up for the communities I represented during that span. In the words of an IBM exec in Durham who came to my defense, I was just insisting on what was “justly due” that community.
With the backing of a grassroots group of residents we called Image Watchers, we turned the community’s reputation around over a span of about nine years.
A turn-around is marked by when a negative positive-to-negative ratio climbs into positive territory.
As you might expect, reaching this milestone was not without a cost to my personal reputation, which to the consternation of friends and supporters, I never defended with the same passion.
There may have been more if you consider the spectrum of sycophants but there were only a handful of detractors that were publicly vitriolic judging by their thinly disguised verbatim comments on community-wide surveys of my performance.
One even passive-aggressively returned a business reply envelope with a hand-written epitaph and taped to a brick hoping to run up the cost to my organization.
You can see the handiwork of one of these detractors who was then a public official if you Google my name. Though not the one quoted in the story, this official planted the story along with misrepresentations he knew to be false.
Even though it was explained that my severance upon retirement was not a severance but a payout of income that had been earned month by month over two decades but deferred, I suspect the temptation to juice up the story headline and lead in without revealing the source was too much.
During the last decade of my career, I added satisfaction with my leadership to periodic surveys of several hundred civic and business leaders to help my governing board discern if the complaints these individuals were making to them were generalizable.
They weren’t, but one or two board members always worried about the effect those efforts to undermine me might have, so I was annually tasked with meeting with each of them to learn more about their concerns.
But I had already met with each of these complainants numerous times, including one time four-on-one and would continue to do so until I retired, but to little avail.
It didn’t help that I could provide data-driven responses. It seemed they could never really articulate what bothered them, especially those who didn’t have an issue but sought to curry favor with someone who did, essentially the definition of a sycophant.
But I sensed it had to do with a misunderstanding of roles complicated by misperceptions of power and influence, seasoned with a little envy.
In other words, politics.
Only two or three of these individuals were ever constant. When a couple would drop out, replacements who were unfamiliar with the facts or previous discussions were recruited, perpetuating yet another round of meetings in pursuit of yielding understanding.
No one likes to have enemies, but meeting with people who disagreed with me and/or the organizational strategic direction we were executing was something I had made a practice during my entire career.
The habit took root when I ventured to meet with a powerful official who had set out to get me fired from my first community destination marketing organization in Spokane.
It was second nature when a clique attempted to do the same in Anchorage.
So it wasn’t a matter of if - but when - a handful in Durham began to take shots at me, for I had learned that truly being a change agent inevitably invites discord and carries risk.’
It is temping to either pander to these interests or to write them off instead with the 18th century French saying “on ne saurait faire d’omelette sans casser des oeufs” or “you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.”
My goal in meeting with people who were openly contrary or covertly hostile to either me or our mission was always to gather understanding, but often the questions I was able to answer also begrudgingly garnered respect.
It helps to keep in mind when going into meetings such as these that there is a difference between someone being uninformed and ignorant.
You have hope for the former but be prepared to face the latter or at the very least understand that changes of heart and mind take time, often occurring after you are gone.
In the words of Seth Godin, "Ignorant’ used to be a fairly vague epithet, one that we often misused to describe someone who disagreed with us.
Today, because it represents a choice, the intentional act of not-knowing, I think it carries a lot more weight.”
In his short but inspiring book entitled Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit, Parker J. Palmer wrote of such seemingly inscrutable encounters:
“A movement can be saved…only by openly engaging those who disagree.”
Through much of my career, I made it a practice to meet with at least one person every week who disagreed with me while learning to listen carefully and only intervene when asked a question.
That, for me at least, was really hard work as was learning not to tell myself a story based on microaggressions.
Unfortunately, those habits I learned through necessity and experience are now increasingly rare.
For instance, NPR journalist Alan Greenblatt reported that “Indeed, over the past 50 years, the percentage of people who said they would disapprove if their children married someone from the other party has spiked from 5 percent to 40 percent.”
But just meeting with someone with whom you disagree does not guarantee dialogue even if they are brave enough to be vulnerable and explain why and how they disagree with you.
In an essay published a few months ago entitled “Ten Reasons to Stay Away from Your Political Opposite,” the co-authors of You’re Not As Crazy as I Thought (But You’re Still Wrong) defined genuine dialogue:
“Perhaps it would be a step forward simply to recognize that genuine dialogue must entail the bilateral, free and un-manipulated engagement of at least two persons, two unique perspectives and ultimately two distinct agendas.”
They continue by writing, “The moment a space becomes, in actuality, a site for unilateral, instrumental and manipulated engagement, it arguably ceases to be “dialogue.”
It is an easy trap to fall into when the answers you get are, “just because,” or “I just don’t agree.” Over time, I learned that in these encounters I had to dial back my passion and determination.
In the essay, the authors also happen to quote from a book I had been assigned to read back in 1971 while earning a degree in history at BYU entitled The Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire an expert in the philosophy of education:
“Dialogue cannot be reduced to the act of one person’s ‘depositing’ ideas in another, nor can it become a simple exchange of ideas to be ‘consumed’ by the discussants.”
It is unfortunate that this book might not now be permitted at BYU. Freire felt that education could not be neutral. It either functions to bring about conformity or functions to develop critical thinking which can lead to transformation.
Transformation was inherently my job during my entire career. But in the words of a 13th century Monk and later adapted by President Abraham Lincoln:
“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.
My “Fortunate Son” Myth
While delving into family history I am often reminded that I am the only son of an only son who was a fourth generation Idaho horse and cattle rancher.
This meant that I also carried the weight of what I came to call being the “Fortunate Son,” by my 21st year after the late ‘69 Creedance Clearwater Revival hit.
It’s an “anti-war” anthem, a cause I wouldn’t embrace for another two years yet.
For me though, the feeling of being a fortunate son began almost as soon as my parents brought me home to the ranch in 1948. I grew up with the sense that I was treated differently.
By that, I mean that my patriarchal grandparents treated me differently, as did my aunts on both sides.
It was different than how it seemed they treated cousins who were both older and younger, male and female and different too than my two sisters when they came along.
Maybe it was just a response to the patriarchal ranching culture along the Rockies but to me the feeling came to symbolize getting things I didn’t deserve.
It is a feeling that revisits whenever I receive recognition as I did a few days ago with an award named for Charles Kuralt.
He was from North Carolina where I’ve lived for going on 27 years but his heart was along the Big Hole River in Montana, just across the Centennial Mountains from the ancestral Idaho ranch where I spent my early years.
Through his One the Road series, Kuralt happens to also be one of my influences to follow a four-decade career in community destination marketing.
The sense that I was a fortunate son also meant that to me people expected things I couldn’t deliver, such as being a three sport standout in school like my father.
To their credit, my parents -- especially my mother – worked hard to instill humility in me but that came soon enough with the embarrassment, if not shame, of failure.
I failed to have my father’s bone structure or speed for that matter.
I was also left-handed which presents some learning challenges beginning with tying my shoelaces or lasso a moving steer from horseback.
These and many other tasks were complicated by an essential tremor in both hands which, in and of itself, was embarrassing enough.
Still, it took a while before I fully grasped that “fortunate son” was a myth.
Failure was an option with my parents but giving up and especially not trying were not.
In retrospect, I look back at my life through a lens of grit, determination, perseverance and success because it felt that way and people have reinforced those qualities and outcomes.
But closer examination reveals an incredible number of failures, including failed relationships, but they were not for want of trying.
But for fortune and luck, there would have been more I am sure.
But as an exercise in memory and to reinforce humility and empathy for my less fortunate, from the safety of distance I look back at the failures now.
Failure and shame seem closely associated for me. Each one played a role in propelling me forward just as for many others they seem a permanent disability.
Having been invited by third graders to play tackle football during recess, I picked a fumble up as a first grader and ran the wrong way.
I was called out as a fourth grader by my teacher for using my finger on each word as I read.
I was cut from my little league baseball team as a fifth grader. I got a C in P.E. as an eighth grader and quit the football team only to come back as a ninth grader.
I screwed up as a senior and let my grades slide and flunked my renewal drivers license exam test for using my left foot on the brake.
I’ve lost any reliable count of how many times I disappointed my parents.
I failed my military draft physical due to a football injury, and then failed five different times over the next four years as I relentlessly attempted end-runs to enlist in other branches of service.
I got fired from three different jobs before I turned 40. Oh, and then there were those failed marriages. As I retired in 2009, I read a great book by essayist and poet David White entitled, The Three Marriages.
The book’s subtitle is “Reimaging Work, Self and Relationship.” It is not a book about balancing the three but for me especially it explained why I was so successful at the first and until late in life a failure at the third.
My take away was that only when I understood the marriage to self was I able to transfer my success at work over a four-decade career to an enduring relationship, which now seems so effortless.
One of Whyte’s most memorable metaphors is that “We are each a river with a particular abiding character, but we show radically different aspects of our self according to the territory we travel.”
In his book of essays entitled, “WHAT ARE People FOR?” Wendell Berry wrote about solitude that “Human beings are creatures of belonging, though they may come to that sense of belonging only through long periods of exile and loneliness.”
I needed a lifetime of relationship-“exile and loneliness” as a part of consummating my marriage to self. I simply had two of Whyte’s marriages in the wrong order.
He observes that “We often enter a marriage with images of how it will enhance our sense of self, increase the happiness we already possess and end a sense of loneliness.”
But, Whyte continues, “After the initial euphoria, we just as often find that in the marriage itself our sense of self is obliterated, our previous sources of happiness disappear and our sense of isolation is made more acute…”
Those failures of relationship were at most, a failure to know and understand myself enough.
Work was another matter for me but again fortune played a role.
I set out to be a lawyer and backed into the perfect career: community destination marketing.
I was always highly “engaged” in my work, as is 30% of the workforce according to Gallup, give or take a point or two depending on the year.
But I believe much of that engagement was due to being and finding a line of work that was “purpose-oriented.”
This is the good fortune currently shared by 28% of the American workforce according to a study by Imperative, a company founded by Aaron Hurst, author of The Purpose Economy.
It is probably part of what made me so much more successful than many peers.
Purpose-oriented employees who pursue work as fulfillment and as a means to help other people are found distributed across the workforce and in every occupation.
I feel it is a mistake for those who aren’t to see themselves as a victim and look to management to fill them with purpose and engagement.
Tom Rath, a best-selling author and senior scientist for Gallup has written a new “must-read” entitled Are You Fully Charged?
He concludes that if you seek engagement or purpose directly you may not find it. But if you seek meaning you will find happiness and engagement.
As in a sentiment my daughter forwarded recently, “Do what you love, love what you do.”
Find meaning and purpose in whatever job you do and you will find engagement, something I realize was one of the early values embedded by my parents.
For me the stars just aligned more closely than for many not because of the “fortunate son” myth but thanks to parents who put the emphasis on trying.
Labels: Engagement, Failure, Family History, Fortunate Son, Personal History, Purpose
Underlying Our Fear of Crime is a Paradox
The news media often rationalizes its obsession with violent crime by purporting that this is what people are interested in and/or concerned about.
A new Gallup poll once again dispels that notion.
It is true that 17% of Americans frequently or occasionally worry about getting murdered, as do 16% who worry about being sexually assaulted.
However, many times more Americans are worried about being the victim of theft, which is borne out by reactions on neighborhood listservs or increasingly now related apps.
Over the last ten years, the proportion of Americans who perceive that crime is going up has roughly climbed back to what it was in the mid-1990s.
This has been true while the violent crime rate has steadily trended downward. The misperception disconnect is as likely among Americans who have not been victims as it is among those who have.
Puzzling is that this misperception is far higher among Republicans than Independents overall as well as Democrats, and 23 points higher among conservatives than it is among liberals.
What makes this relevant is that Republicans are more likely to be “cocooned” where they live. The news media sees politicians in states such as where I live as pitting rural areas against cities.
But for several years, analysts have noted a “Red State – Blue City” divide. As shown by Josh Kron in The Atlantic, “people don’t make cities liberal – cities make people liberal.”
Some of “America’s bluest cities are located in its reddest states.”
Only 37% of Americans live within a mile of an area where they would be afraid to walk alone at night which is roughly what it was in 1965, even though the proportion of Americans living in cities has increased over that span from 69.9% to 80.7%.
This is why examining the role of the news media and news outlet proliferation during that span as related to what we fear is important.
In 1999, then USC sociology researcher and now Lewis & Clark College president Dr. Barry Glassner published a book entitled, The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things.
Using data that is even more relevant now, he took to task politicians, advocacy groups, and news media for being “peddlers of fear.”
As tragic as the circumstances were in Ferguson, MO, as well as a series of subsequent events, the rush to judgment over the past 16 months in the news and among advocacy groups regarding law enforcement is an example of what Glassner was writing about.
Many researchers too have been enablers by failing to explain in news reports that correlation is not causation nor even always very useful.
Race isn’t always a factor, but for many violent crimes it is sometimes relevant.
For example, 48% of Americans who are parents of school age children fear their children will be physically harmed at school. This is an underreported reason “Why White Parents Won’t Choose Black Schools.”
Even among liberals, according to author Abby Norman, “They want diversity, just not too much.”
But most school shooting are committed by white males. That fact should naturally end up a factor while delving into solutions just as race as well as parenting should not be off limits while studying other types of crime.
Geo-studies of gun violence have found that 50% trace to just 3% of a community’s street segments and intersections.
Half of the overall crime in a community, including the break-ins that most concern Americans, traces to just 4% of street segments and intersections.
Sociological researchers such as Harvard’s Dr. Orlando Patterson, who happens to be black, have found that between 12% and 28% of the youth in neighborhood hot-spots such as these has a contempt for laws and institutions.
He notes that they are infected “with a threatening vision of blackness openly embraced as the thug life.”
He also notes that in tackling the present series of crises “it is a clear mistake to focus only on police brutality, and it is fatuous to attribute it all to white racism.”
It is, he contends, “a culture reinforced by contemporary conditions like poverty, racial discrimination, chronic unemployment, single parenting and a chemically toxic, neurologically injurious environment, like lead paint.”
But it is a culture nonetheless. Certainly not black culture per se, but a culture fostered among a very small minority in these specific locations where a majority of inhabitants happen to be black, hard-working and lawful.
This is also why researchers who assume traffic stops or resulting fines in certain areas should reflect the overall make up of a community are misleading the general public when commenting during news reports.
Just as with whatever is leading disturbed white males to shoot up schools, the culture Dr. Patterson is citing is not evenly distributed.
News reports often not only generalize crime to an overall community, but misperceptions are often exaggerated by double coverage when the media in nearby communities jump on the same stories rather than shining a balanced light on similar issues at home.
The answer is more coverage of crime, not less.
But headlines and reports should be far more geographically specific and as quick to signal why some crimes should not be a source of generalized fear.
It would also help if editors were a eager to provide details such as property that is left unsecured or the role of underzealous parenting in addition to overzealous enforcement.
It would also help if news stories called out politicians and groups seeking to capitalize on misperceptions and geo-generalizations.
Seth Godin recently said something that could as easily be applied to this which was, “as with pollution, because no one owns the problem, no one is working very hard to solve it.”
But journalists who are concerned about this paradigm and accept some responsibility can not only set an example but begin to raise the bar for others.
Posted by Reyn at 12:58 PM 0 comments
Labels: Crime Reduction, Culture of Fear, Scientific Generalizable Public Opinion Polling
The Paradox of Micromanagement
Associates who struggle and fail to fit into an organization’s culture and strategic system will often complain that they were micromanaged and not allowed to do their jobs.
Having found myself more than occasionally on the receiving end of that parting shot, I made it a point, with the objectivity of organizational psychologists, to learn more.
Was it true or an excuse, and why was it was perceived that way?
Over the years I perpetually honed my management style as well as the cultures of the organizations I managed.
We had always hired based on various characteristics including as much technical know-how as we could afford. But many people we hired failed to understand that technical know-how is only a start of being a good employee.
It take time to develop alignment and paradoxically, often what feels like micromanagement is actually not being managed and coached closely enough.
This is especially true in small, high-performance, strategically aligned entrepreneurial enterprises such as the community destination marketing organizations I led.
People in these settings must not only work independently but at the same time synchronizing with others within a culture and strategic direction as though they were all one.
There is little margin for error so whenever possible mistakes and learning best take place within the organization. By that I mean inside the four walls…not out in the community or with visitors.
Reputation management is crucial to sustaining credibility and relevance with external audiences, but far too many organizations either seem to play fast and loose or redirect their energies into looking good rather than doing or being good.
To paraphrase an old law school meme, more than technical understanding, success takes good judgment which comes from experience which in turn comes from bad judgment.
In other words, learning from failure.
In a classic 2011 article in Harvard Business Review, organization behavior researcher Dr. Amy Edmundson broke failure down into a spectrum.
At the blameworthy end were failures due to deviance, inattention and lack of ability while failures due to uncertainty about the future, hypothesis testing and exploratory testing fall at the praiseworthy end.
Process inadequacy and task challenge fell in the middle.
Unfortunately, people quick to complain about “micromanagement” are often still on a steep learning curve and/or don’t see failure and coaching as a pivotal part of learning.
Worse, they don’t take responsibility for their failures.
Researchers such as Dr. Carol Dweck have found that the ability to view failure as just a part of learning is a mindset gleaned by the third grade.
Regrettably, many people come into the workforce with a fixed mentality, resistant to not only critical thinking and teaching, but going so far as to view questions as criticism.
They contribute to the 51% of the workforce who are “not engaged” in their work (just putting in time,) according to Gallup, as well a fair proportion of the 18% who are “actively disengaged” and working to undermine workplace.
Last year, researchers at Michigan, UNC-Chapel Hill and Harvard found that when we take personal ownership of our failures we are much more likely to learn from them and work harder.
Last January, in a speech to the students there, the president of Brigham Young University argued that any quest for perfection should place the emphasis more on “quest” than on perfection.
The ability to learn from mistakes and failure as well as soak up feedback and make adjustments are propensities similar to character, all of which are best inculcated between birth and the age of 8.
Non-cognitive factors, such as perseverance, motivation and grit are tough to teach or learn in school, let alone the workplace.
This is true even when reading and applying science in books such as John Medina’s Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School.
Hint: men learn best when given the gist, women want details.
As with so many issues such as poverty and academic achievement, things such as this get gridlocked in the “chicken and egg” divide between those who argue that it is an issue of capacity and those who view it as individual responsibility.
In my experience, the solutions are both/and with far to little emphasis in society, it seems, on the latter.
Labels: Character, Community-Destination Marketing, Grit, Management, Organizational Alignment, Organizational Behavior, Organizational Culture, Personal History
Parting Ways and New Beginnings
I parted ways with an good friend yesterday.
We had only been together for a little more than six years.
It may be a sign of how tightly I firewalled my professional life from my personal life that when we first became acquainted many people seized on the relationship as part of my identity.
Or was it just that people found us seemingly such an odd couple, a community marketer and a biker.
My departed friend is a Harley-Davidson Cross Bones.
I had always wanted to learn to ride a motorcycle so at the age of 61 I went at it with purpose, learning to ride and enjoy what are called heavy bikes.
The curb weight of a Cross Bones when outfitted like mine is just north of 750 pounds. That means with my weight and gear and occasionally a passenger, I had to learn to balance and maneuver as much a half ton.
The urge to learn to ride was instilled while riding behind a close boyhood friend on his mini-Honda Trail 50 in the early 1960s.
Having said goodbye to the “Bones,” we have a new challenge now, or better said an old one.
It is a well-maintained 1985 Century Mustang II inboard-outboard bow-rider roundabout boat that we keep at the nearby lake where we spend a few days each week.
When I was about 9, I first learned to water ski behind an old plywood boat that was powered by a little 35 horse power Evinrude. The one we have now is closer to the one my parents had in the late-1970s.
It came to me while writing this bit of memoir that I often left activities behind during my career.
I don’t know about you but I’ve often wondered about the seeming association of activities such as this with place and time and why we leave some behind and take up others.
For instance, I left downhill skiing skiing, tennis and water skiing behind when I moved from Spokane to Anchorage in 1978 although there was ample opportunity for both in each city.
Downhill and Nordic skiing were actually more accessible in Anchorage with several areas right in the municipality including Alyeska, a resort 40 miles from downtown that has been ranked among the top 25 destinations.
Big Lake lies a few miles across Knik Arm from downtown Anchorage but 60 minutes by highway skirting that waterway. The “bridge to nowhere,” would have actually had a destination.
Similarly I carried on a love of nature photography when I moved from Spokane to Anchorage but then left it behind when I moved to Durham in 1989.
Part of the reason, I guess, could be that a person’s career tends to intensify over time, at least the way I went about mine. Or is it just that our leisure pursuits become more ambitious?
Another reason is that my job in community marketing meant that when I wasn’t showcasing activities such as these, I was spending my time thinking about how to do it better.
But about five years before I retired when I gave notice to my governing board and the community, my mind opened to what I would be able to do when that time came.
I started going down the list of what I had been postponing doing such as learning to ride a motorcycle, learning to fly an airplane, digging into family history and researching and writing essays such as these.
During my four decade career and into retirement has been the overarching dream of spending time lakeside.
Now that that time has come, for as long as I’m able my leisure, physical and intellectual activities will revolve around the lake, which is just fine with me.
I can always rent a bike from time to time.
Labels: Community-Destination Marketing, Destination marketing, Destination Marketing Organization, Harley-Davidson Cross Bones, Leisure, Personal History
The New Community Marketing Model
I promised during the last post entitled, “Community Marketing Malpractice” to touch in this sequel on the “new model” that has replaced the marketing paradigms that were found so broken ten years ago.
For many marketers, not just community marketers, nothing has really changed. It is tragic that their marketing practices remain frozen in time even though they began to lose steam thirty to fifty years ago.
Oh, they may have added some new jargon and layered on a new tactic or two such as digital but at the core, their approach really hasn’t changed from what was done more than two generations ago.
To be fair, many community marketers who want to change remain captive to stakeholders and officials who are trapped in the past.
Overall, though, at the root of this inertia is a multi-billion dollar “industrial complex” that in the words of Seth Godin is trapped because “no one owns the problem,” so “no one is working very hard to fix it.”
When no one appears to be taking accountability, a friend of mine calls that, “No one owning the file.”
Casualties are not only malpractice and negligence in marketing but a failure at its own hand of a model that has until now underwritten information and entertainment in our culture.
Those marketers, though, who are blazing a new model have one thing in common. They never saw marketing as static, not because they have “schpilkas,” a yiddish term used to mean “ants-in-the-pants.”
They understand that the underlying purpose of marketing is differentiation and that includes differentiation of how one conducts marketing.
These pioneers are also fortunate to have stakeholders who give them that latitude.
So what is the new marketing model? For one, it is truly data-driven which means that advertising is dead and that doesn’t just mean traditional advertising.
The essence of new paradigms is almost always found evident in the ones that are replaced.
Marketers have long distinguished earned media from paid media, although both cost money. The latter is an attempt to buy consumer attention while the former involves working hard to earn it.
In the old days, it meant generating interest through publicity including news coverage (earned) vs. trying to buy that attention (advertising,) which has always been much more cost-effective.
But today it involves a wide range of ways to engage customers including “search, social and content marketing.” It is why analysts predict that by next year marketing will involve greater technology budgets than organizations typically devote to IT overall.
Another equally important element of this new marketing model is the importance of content design.
Others helping to shape this new model distinguish earned, owned and paid media with things such as a web and/or mobile site, blogs and social media channels falling under “owned” media and search engine optimization overlapping with “earned” media.
They still use paid media but only where its turn-on ratio far exceeds any turn-off such as where the medium reinforces owned and earned media, e.g. an official visitors guide to a community or state or local, state or regional lifestyle magazines and websites.
One of the key metrics is Word of Mouth (WOM) impact on business. Studies show that two-thirds will be offline and one-third will be via social sites, blogs, reader boards and photo and video sharing tracking positive, neutral and negative.
Recent studies show that two-thirds of the impact of word of mouth is direct and one-third is as an amplifier of paid media. The impact is also more immediate compared to traditional media.
Up to 80% of offline WOM occurs in the first two weeks as well as up to 95% of online WOM, compared to between 30 and 60% for television. WOM drives 5 times more sales than paid advertising impressions.
It happens that in Durham, North Carolina where I live, the DMO is one of the first in North America to use an approach to measuring WOM called The Net Promoter Score.
Building on its pioneering public opinion research, the Durham DMO uses the method to not only measure promoters, passives and detractors among both internal and external audiences but the net strength of those sentiments.
It measures how likely people are to recommend visiting Durham. More on the latest results in a few weeks but based on studies of the sources consumers find most trustworthy, it is one of the most crucial marketing metrics.
Analysts have also found that earned and owned media has 10 to 100 times the value of a paid advertisement.
Nielsen, which is in the business of quantifying traditional paid advertising, has found that “on average, expert content lifted familiarity of a brand 88% more than branded content and 50% more than user reviews.”
They also found that expert content far outperforms paid content for lifting purchase consideration. Other Nielsen studies have found that organic search wins out over paid search results on Google and Bing, for instance, 94% of the time.
The new paradigms for marketing are more staff intensive and require a lot harder work as well as a pioneering and innovative organizational culture.
They also require new levels of sincerity and authenticity as consumers grow ever more vigilant about content and media in general.
It will be both/and for a while longer as all such shifts are but the fulcrum has shifted quickly and dramatically in favor of earned and owned content compared to paid content.
Labels: Attention, Community-Destination Marketing, Differentiation, DMO, Earned, Marketing, Marketing Malpractice, Marketing Negligence, Owned and Paid Media, Word of Mouth
Community Marketing Malpractice
My degrees were in history and political science. I also studied law. But my career was in marketing; or more specifically, the marketing of communities.
Fortunately, my collegiate exposure to marketing was a theoretical survey course using the provocative teachings of Harvard’s Dr. Theodore Levitt.
So I always had a much different, and many would say provocative approach to community destination marketing than my DMO peers, who over-relied on the components of traditional sales and advertising.
Results would suggest far more successful too, than those who over-relied on the components of traditional sales and advertising.
Far too many still do today, which is puzzling. This post may help young community marketers avoid what had been termed “marketing malpractice” by the time I retired nearly six years ago.
A lot about marketing has changed during that span. Maybe it intrigues me as to why many DMO execs aren’t keeping up because my intellectual curiosity hasn’t yet retired.
Marketing includes the elements of sales and advertising but it fundamentally differs in its overall purpose.
Myopically, to use one of Dr. Levitt favorite words, “selling” customarily has focused on the needs of the seller.
Many use the term relational “selling” today but then still pretty much focus on what “they” have to sell rather than what the customer needs.
Advertising is and has always been focused on “getting” attention. Trying to “demand” attention is far more like it, which is why so many marketers call it a form of “yelling.”
This is confirmed in this age of waning attention spans when so many lazy practitioners desperately seem to only know how to “yell” louder and louder.
Marketing weaves these and five or so other components into a blend designed instead on creating and satisfying customers, according to Levitt, which means “un-creating” customers for your community if that means directing their attention to destinations more suited.
A longitudinal study at USC determined in 2010 that traditional advertising now has an overall negative return of investment but that its decline began three decades ago, a decade before the Internet was made available for public use.
Still, many of those who bothered to read the study theorized that the demise of advertising was due to the Internet or the fragmentation of media or even clutter, meaning a proliferation of too many ads.
But marketing historians were aware that complaints about ad “cutter” date, at least, to January 20, 1759 when a copywriter and essayist noted, “Advertisements are now so numerous that they are very negligently perused.”
Dr. Thales Teixeira (Tech-Sarah,) a contemporary Harvard marketing researcher, is an expert in what he calls the “economics of attention.”
From various studies he has graphed that attention to even television ads had plummeted from 97% of viewers in 1990 to fewer than 2 in 10 today, even though ads are more than 75% shorter in length.
Attention to ads was plummeting long before the Internet was an alternative and had fallen by nearly half when TiVo, the first DVR device that enabled ad-skipping was introduced in 1999.
This was also long before mobile devices divided the attention of the 44% of viewers who multitask into even thinner slices.
Illustrating the desperation of advertisers, including most that are oblivious to the drop in attentiveness, is that during that span the cost per 1,000 primetime viewers has skyrocketed from $18 to nearly $200 per view, while the quality of attention has severely degraded.
Dr. Teixeira calculates that “Attention is one of our three most valuable, scarce and fungible resources.”
Now even Levitt recognized in his 1993 treatise entitled Advertising: “The Poetry of Becoming,” that ads at the very least provides “variety and changes the pace.”
It’s not unlike the rationale one my friends argues on behalf of billboards, a long-obsolete medium. But this calculus fails to take into account the turn-of to turn-on ratio of ads.
Yup, and a few people only buy print magazines that are purposely laden with ads. But attention today, and for several decades now, is something you earn rather than demand.
It is about “them,” not “you” and “yelling” about your product, your community, your brand is a turn-off even when you try to be cute and entertaining.
In the words of Seth Godin, “the goal of marketing interaction isn’t to close the sales, any more than the goal of a first date is to get married. No, the opportunity is to move foreword, earn attention and trust and curiosity and conversation.”
Trust is the key to earning attention and “you must build trust before you need it,” or want it.
Godin also explains why advertisers seem clueless and only respond by increasing clutter. “And as with pollution, because no one owns the problem, no one is working very hard to solve it.”
“Advertising” he argues, while explaining why consumers are now “using a sledgehammer to block them all” is in “a relentless race to the bottom.”
A former classmate of mine at BYU who is now renowned Harvard business professor by the name of Dr. Clay Christensen, argued several years before I retired that the paradigms of marketing itself are broken and must be reconfigured beginning with the way we segment customer prospects.
He shows how any communication under the umbrella of marketing, including advertising, must, in the end, show consumers what “job” they need to hire your product or community to do, exposing the flaw in communities that try to be appealing at everything, only to find they have sold their soul.
Christensen, who is famous for coining the concept of disruptive innovation, would not only agree with me that many of my peers, though much younger are marketing dinosaurs but that they are committing “Marketing Malpractice.”
I will continue this primer in the next post by reviewing why techniques such as advertising, not just roadside billboards, are now so obsolete.
Unfortunately, most marketing dinosaurs probably didn’t get this far (sigh.)
Labels: Advertising, Billboards, Community-Destination Marketing, DMO, DMO Relevance, Personal History, Sales vs Marketing
Where Durham Dawdles
While one of the most broadly acclaimed communities in America, Durham, NC where I live seems to be dawdling its way to one 15 year-old best practice only in fits and starts.
Before I get to the theory of why that is, as given to me this week by a landscaper friend of mine, let me share why even this practice requires yet another layer of best practice to be truly effective.
While Durham has dawdled, some cities are closing in on fulfilling a goal to plant 1 million new trees. The movement stems from a goal by then Republican Vice President George Bush in 1991 encouraging Americans to plant 30 million trees.
He was bucking popular members of his party and some Democrats who had the convoluted notion that trees cause pollution. In some cases they can, but science before and since has clarified that trees are crucial to regulating climate.
Deforestation hawks eventually undermined the initiative but it inspired many cities and states to take up the cause. Tree hawks eventually stalled state initiatives but many cities forge ahead.
Most notable is New York City which faced much more daunting challenges than others.
Many cities were doomed when they tried to do it on the cheap using only donations and volunteers while failing to factor in ongoing maintenance.
However, NYC began with research in 2006 and 2007 to quantify both its municipal trees as well as the overall tree canopy across all five boroughs.
Then the city set an ambitious goal to plant a million new trees, 70% of which would be on city property such as along streets and right-of-ways, parks and public housing while rallying another 30% planted by homeowners, landlords, apartment complexes, businesses and non-profits.
But what makes the NY program truly stand out is that it not only incorporated caring for the trees into the initiative but worked with nurseries and growers to provide supplies of quality trees that would be sustainable in order to truly optimize long-term benefit.
An effort this strategic is only possible when elected officials and administrators weave it throughout each agency and department as well as understand the need for intensive, unrelenting data-based marketing communications.
The folks at Deep Root have calculated, in part by using i-Tree, that to plant a million trees using the right kind of trees with proper planting and maintenance will generate a $25 billion return over 50 years compared to a minus $3 billion if done improperly.
Only when leaders grasp that trees are a form of infrastructure is this type of commitment likely.
So why are so many other cities such as Durham failing to catch on or mount a concerted, strategic effort such as New York?
My landscaper friend believes it is we all in general, including elected leaders and administrators, even the one-percenters, make the same strategic mistake at home.
Even rich people put $100,000 into landscaping but then balk at paying a $100 a month for maintenance. These same people also insist on overplanting to create a short term impression and expressing shock when it inevitably must be thinned and then, over time, ages out and must be replaced.
It isn’t just governments that often don’t get it.
While opinion polls in Durham show a high regard for tree canopy, the reality is that we don’t understand nor are we led to understand the true cost of things.
So many taxpayers complained at the $16 million cost of building the Durham Bulls Athletic Park only to be flabbergasted when it costs another $20 million to refresh it after two decades.
Part of the problem is that we, as the general public, don’t get it.
But we also don’t have leaders who deluding themselves don’t educate us. In fact, many play into our ignorance by fostering resentment of government and taxes without revealing that we will be cutting off our nose to spite our face.
Durham leaders may eventually catch on and fully embrace its coveted tree canopy. If and when it does, hopefully we do it right and learn from NYC.
Why is he so grumpy, some readers are probably muttering?
Hey, I spent a good share of my heart and soul defending Durham but that never stopped me from shining a light on areas where I believe we must improve.
Labels: Accolades, Best Practices, Durham NC, Green Infrastructure, Tree Canopy, Tree Retention, Trees, Urban Forest Master Plans, Urban Forestry
Perceptions of Teachers and Teacher Pay
It’s funny how some people get when it comes to how much other people get paid, so I was curious when Harris polled Americans about perceptions of what school teachers make where they live.
Six in ten Americans consider teaching a prestigious occupation, with 21% holding it in high esteem compared to 10% who feel it is not prestigious at all according to an earlier Harris Poll.
Eight in ten would encourage a child to pursue teaching, double the proportion that would encourage being a member of Congress, for instance.
Perceptions of teacher pay have changed since I was in high school 50 years ago. At that time 42% of Americans perceived their local teachers were paid too little and 2% thought it was too much.
Today, more than half of Americans believe local teachers are paid too little while 8% believe they are paid too much.
The perceptions vary by region, urban vs. rural and, of course, political philosophy, but maybe not in the way you might think based on Tea Party rhetoric or the influence they appear to have had on lawmakers in some states.
Conservatives, overall, are five times more likely to believe teachers are paid too much compared to liberals. No surprise.
But they are also more than twice as likely as moderates to believe this, although these days ultra conservatives often seem to fail to distinguish liberals from moderates.
A greater percentage of rural Americans hold that view, but news to many lawmakers where I live is that only 2% of Southerners think their teachers are paid too much, while a national high of nearly 7 in 10 in the South think teachers are paid too little.
The stinginess is also not about resentment of institutional burdens on taxpayers vs. what individual teachers are paid. Southerners are also more likely than Americans in other parts of the country to believe that not enough is being spent on public schools overall.
Surveys such as these illuminate the growing disconnect between the lavish news coverage of Americans who are either fiscally and cultural angry or estranged, and that given to the opinions of Americans as a whole.
Labels: Perception, Salaries, Scientific Generalizable Public Opinion Polling, Teaching
“Foresensing”–The Key to Evergreen
In the days before texting I had friends, who even after email had become common via mobile devices, would always call or leave a voice mail message when they needed something or had a question.
It typically involved a document or some research finding. So I would fulfill the requests quickly via email to leave a paper trail, but these individuals would invariably call again for clarification.
That is unless they disagreed with the information I had sent or something our organization was doing predicated on the findings, in which case they would write a lengthy email neglecting to include the background and copy a trillion other people, now understood as a cardinal sin.
Boy, I sure miss that drama. But don’t jump to the conclusion that they had a learning or reading disability.
People who did that may have been much more strategic and savvy than it seems. They probably accepted something I, too, understood at the time but chose not to further enable:
1. Many people no longer read; 2. Even more prefer to shape decisions and opinions on anecdotes and personalities rather than data and information; and 3. Very few are paying attention to the future or evolving.
In community work, like business and government, the world is awash with dead or dying organizational models which are kept on life support by people either addicted to those behaviors or overly conscious of those still all-too-prevalent conditions.
This is why “best practices” are so easy to spot, not merely for purposes of copying, but because the organizations that exhibit them are purposely wired for what entrepreneurial researcher Dr. Joseph Pistrui calls “nextsensing.”
During my now-concluded career in community destination marketing to generate visitor-centric economic and cultural development in four different parts of the country, I was what some would now characterize as an “evergreen entrepreneur.”
Only, I was on the quasi-public-private side of things. Still, according to some, I exhibited all 7 characteristics of evergreen entrepreneurs to some extent in the five different startups with which I was involved and/or led.
I enjoyed startups because you not only get to build an organization from scratch but you get to evolve each one by quantum leaps each time. During the last half of my career, I learned to do this every few months with the same organization.
Nextsensing doesn’t come from “group-think” exercises such as brainstorming which, as studies have shown, is a pure waste of time unless accompanied with a very healthy dose of critical thinking.
Unfortunately, most people who facilitate or are drawn to the “kumbaya” school of brainstorming seem averse to thinking at all, let alone critically, because to them, asking questions is criticism.
But this is only one of the reasons that the traditional approach to making strategic plans is often futile, or when successful, are destined to be quickly relegated to a dusty shelf (buried on a rarely seen portion of a computer drive.)
An even more compelling reason these plans are now ineffective is that true strategic insight, strategic foresight or “nextsensing,” must be woven into the DNA of an organization in such a way that it occurs organically in real time.
Writing about this aspect in a classic book entitled, The Living Company: Growth, Learning and Longevity in Business, author and researcher Arie de Geus famously wrote “The ability to learn faster than your competitors may be your only sustainable advantage.”
Earlier, in 1988, de Geus termed this as “institutional learning” in an article in Harvard Business Review. He explained that this type of learning is much more difficult than individual learning.
Organizations that are “evergreen” outperform those that are focused only on near-term returns. According to studies, de Geus explains that they “institutionalize change” rather than reacting to crisis.
In the past, even evolving organizations could afford to gestate learning anywhere from 12 to 18 months before acting on it.
Today, that evolution must be in real time.
Researchers involved with the Nextsensing Project have identified four skills needed to see the future in real time:
Stretch Sensibilities – A mindset and commitment to exploration.
Stand for Change – Set new directions and adjust priorities.
Create a new Order – Retool the enterprise to set new goals and trigger actions no one else has set or achieved.
Lead with “Foresense” – Transform hunch to vision and new skills.
In late 1970s, Bert Lance, a banker and native-Georgian who headed the Office of Budget and Management for then President Jimmy Carter popularized the expression, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” an old Swedish proverb.
No even remotely sustainable organization has that luxury today.
Labels: Community-Destination Marketing, DMO, Learning, Personal History, Real Time Change, Strategic Insight, Strategic Mindset, Strategic Plans, Strategic Thinking, Strategy Making, Visitor Centric Economic and Cultural Development
Much More Important Than That
Last spring, after reading one of my posts referencing urban trees as a form of green infrastructure, a friend of mine in high office tried gently to break the news to me.
He emailed, “Local officials or residents generally don’t see trees as what they typically think of as ‘infrastructure.’” My friend reassured me that “we mostly think of trees as wonderful and beautiful and necessary, but not as infrastructure.”
He’s right, unfortunately.
This reminded me of a hilarious response the editor of the now defunct Business 2.0 gave to me when I tried, in my former role, to explain that Durham and Raleigh are distinct communities and metro areas.
He quipped the oxymoron (contradictory terms appearing in conjunction) that until “Durham is better known,” his magazine would “continue to refer to it as Raleigh.”
No wonder the magazine went out of business in 2007.
Actually, opinion polls have long shown that Durham has nearly the same awareness level as Raleigh even though the latter has the advantage of being memorized as a state capital by nearly all school children.
But the role of the community marketing organization I led at the time was to raise that awareness, especially among prospective visitors for which Durham would be a good fit, while aiding those for whom it wouldn't, to seek alternatives.
Yes, community marketing is not missionary work, but I digress.
Likewise, the general public’s recognition of “green infrastructure” will take time and rely on awareness generated by local governments.
To be fair, it wasn’t until about two decades ago that the term “green infrastructure” began to be used in government circles, although it had been taught as part of planning and administration long before that.
EPA is working hard to further this understanding and I would think that Durham officials will soon catch on. But more importantly, will they realize their responsibility to educate residents in this regard?
Equally pertinent, will they accept stewardship for not only government-owned trees here but the broader tree canopy? Will they finally execute a study to quantify that value?
But as Washington Post science journalist, Chris Mooney, suggests, the quantification of ecosystem services (“blending concepts from ecology and economics”) may be missing the even greater benefit of trees and other forms of green infrastructure to public health.
Ecosystem services are things such as provisioning food, regulating services such as water purification, or cultural services such as sense of place or aesthetics.
National Parks, for instance, generate $10 into the economy for every $1 invested by taxpayers, including tourism, but they also pull or sequester $580 million of carbon out of the air annually.
As Mooney did in this week’s column about a proposal by Harvard’s Dr. E.O. Wilson to set aside for our own sake half of the earth’s land area and 70% of the ocean in the form of nature reserves, he often covers research that deepens the connection between health and nature.
I’ve always been healthy but I am arguably healthier now than I’ve been in more than 40 years. Wherever I’ve lived in Durham over the last 26 of those years, I’ve been surrounded by forests, nowhere more than where I live now.
On the eve after my birthday this past July, new research was published that concluded, “Having 10 more trees in a city block, on average, improves health perception in ways comparable to an increase in annual personal income of $10,000…,” or “being 7 years younger.”
The lots where I split my time, one in Durham and one on a nearby lake each have more than 100 trees alone which obviously contribute to my feeling younger.
Lets see now, research has recently shown that tree cover, not just government-owned trees but the entire tree canopy of a community, has an impact on public health, public works, taxable property values, crime reduction, social services, economic and neighborhood vitality, mental health, air and water quality etc.
Maybe they aren’t a form of infrastructure which is defined as the basics needed for the operation of society.
They are much more important than that.
Labels: Ecosystem Services, Green Capital, Green Infrastructure, Policy, Science, Trees, Vitality
It Never Leaves You
You can’t grow up in the tiny Yellowstone-Teton nook of eastern Idaho that noses up between Montana and Wyoming as I did during my formative years on an ancestral cattle ranch, without being constantly aware that it will happen again.
There are 40 distinct geologic formations there, but dominant is a huge volcanic eruption that took place there 2 million years ago.
That was the largest in a chain-reaction of eruptions that began 17 million years ago in the southwest nook of Idaho near its borders with Oregon and Nevada.
Sweeping to the northeast, the eruptions worked their way up what became the 400 mile Snake River Plain, which widens from 30 miles to 125 miles as it reaches my native nook where in the shadow of the Rockies that stupendous eruption created an alpine bench above the plain.
A much smaller eruption in that chain created the Yellowstone Plateau just 600,000 years ago and a crater, or caldera, as large as Los Angeles.
Five miles below its surface is a volcano of molten rock the size of Mount Everest, one of 10 Super Volcanoes in the World.
It will blow again someday and the consequences will be felt globally.
But a far greater imprint on my youth was a river formed from springs that filter through the Yellowstone Plateau where it leans on my native nook of Idaho, called the Henry’s Fork.
It surfaces at the Rocky Mountain Continental Divide just 10 miles from the headwaters of the Missouri River on the other side: the waters of the former destined for the Pacific and the waters of the latter to the Atlantic.
It is impossible to describe how beautiful this area is, especially the first 70 miles of the river’s 127 mile length, so I’ll just link to this video. This is the part my parents crisscrossed when they first brought me home from the hospital.
We crossed it to provision in Ashton, to and from school and church, to watch my dad play softball in the evening down near Chester and for Sunday family dinners along with my with my aunts, uncles and cousins down at my grandparent’s house in Saint Anthony.
The Henry’s Fork is where I learned to wade and explore, catch frogs and fly fish, as well as experience the transformative, spiritual influence of nature.
I rarely return, maybe every 20 years or so, but the Henry’s Fork never leaves you.
It is really more like five different rivers in that first half of the river from where a huge spring turns to a river within a hundred feet, through forests, winding across the pastures and native grasses of a caldera, down through steep canyons creating three huge water falls.
Along that stretch it collects creeks such as Buffalo, Elk and Robinson and rivers such as Warm River and Fall River which cascading out of the southwest corner of Yellowstone known as Bechler Meadows.
Herds of Elk “summer” in the meadows there and further up the Henry’s Fork, migrate just above and below the ranch my great-grandparents settled to “winter” at wildlife refuges at Camas and along Sand Creek.
Just beyond Saint Anthony, the Henry’s Fork breaks into channels becoming more like a large, inland delta as it collects the Teton River west of Rexburg and before joining the South Fork as it flows down out of Palisades to form the Snake River north of Idaho Falls.
The portion of the river so important to my formative years is between its headwaters and the Vernon bridge north of Chester.
Most of that time was spent exploring a half mile of riffles and runs located in the tail waters between the Ora bridge and the Ashton Dam.
We crossed the Ora bridge almost daily for one reason or another. It is near there that my parents first met when my dad stopped to pull my mom’s family out of the gravel roadside’s roadside borrow pit.
When it was erected in 1911, the reservoir created by the Ashton Dam and the Ora bridge installed below it shortened the route to town for my rancher paternal great-grandparents and grandparents.
In the 1940s, its owner the Utah Power & Light Company brought my maternal grandfather and his family there for a few years to operate the dam.
The Henry’s Fork earned a reputation in the west for fly-fishing among enthusiasts in the 1930s but in 1975 I just may have had a hand in gaining it worldwide renown.
Before, during and after the Expo ‘74, a World’s Fair for the Environment in Spokane, I worked to help start a community destination marketing organization to leverage and build on the success of the event.
Part of our job was to interest outdoor writers in story ideas and pre and post trips related to the event as well as laying the groundwork for hosting the Outdoor Writers of America national convention.
Spokane, Washington hosted the six month affair, in part because of its proximity within a day’s drive from so many the Pacific Northwest’s great rivers, lakes, national forests and parks, including the Henry’s Fork.
Who knows? The effort may have even planted or germinated the seed for an article written in Sports Afield magazine in 1975.
The article appeared during my first year as the DMO’s chief exec entitled, The Best Dry Fly River in America—The Henry's Fork, written by Ernie Schwiebert.
Schwiebert, who passed away in 2005, was already a legend and respected author and illustrator.
As an architect, he took advantage of his business travels to scout fly fishing streams. He had also influenced the founding and growth of a conservation group called Trout Unlimited.
Now 150,000 members strong with 400 chapters including one named for Ernie, this past year alone Trout Unlimited protected 1,400 stream miles and 7.8 million acres of land while reconnecting over 570 miles of spawning and rearing habitat and restoring over 140 miles of river.
But within a few years of Ernie’s 1975 accolade, worry spread among residents along the Henry’s Fork about its sustainability and by 1983 they coalesced in the formation of the Henry’s Fork Foundation.
Watershed organizations such as this were extremely rare back then and unheard of in eastern Idaho.
A relatively short river, the Henry’s Fork watershed still generates an incredible 2.8 million acre-feet of water supply each year including shallow groundwater.
For us lay folks, an acre-foot of water is 325,900 gallons. About 59% of that flows downstream into the Snake along with 29% in the form of groundwater outflow.
The remainder is consumed for irrigation, expanded for domestic, commercial and industrial use or lost through evaporation.
One of the major economic drivers of this nook of Idaho is tourism and recreation including fishing, which relies on consistent seasonal flows along the river.
So the rub, even where there isn’t a drought, is to calibrate use of the river over the course of the year so that it is healthy, bio-diverse and economically viable for all uses.
At issue is irrigation, not because of overall consumption for that purpose, which has been stable since the 1970s, but because of the way it has changed technologically.
Rather than relying on snowmelt, it now relies primarily on groundwater recharge and discharge. Officials everywhere often make the mistake of thinking of surface water and groundwater as different but it is all related.
Actually, rivers are crucial to groundwater and groundwater outflow is crucial to rivers. They are inter-related.
Along the Henry’s Fork, about 24% of the groundwater is recharged by rain and snow. Another 9% comes from stream seepage and 38% from seepage from canals.
Another 29% seeps back into groundwater when the irrigation is applied. But irrigation technology has challenged areas along the river, resulting in too much in low areas and not enough in others.
Idaho, as well as North Carolina where I live, are very conservative states. But unlike a regressive wing of conservatives in North Carolina, lawmakers in Idaho, part of the more arid west, seem to know better than to tamper with water quality provisions.
Idaho also better understands, out of necessity, the importance of collaboration.
This includes close collaboration between federal and state agencies as well as collaboration between non-government organizations such as the HF Foundation, water users, landowners, businesses and other stakeholders working together as the Henry’s Fork Watershed Council.
Over the last few years, state and federal agencies have re-worked a management plan for the Henry’s Fork watershed. They have distilled of more than 50 options in the areas of surface storage, groundwater recharge and water conservation, down to 12.
None of the options involve rolling back water quality standards as we apparently just did in North Carolina to please special interests.
The final product is a tactical plan for achieving strategic objectives in the future. It is well worth reading and emulating.
There is a bright future for the Henry’s Fork River. The river continued over the last four decades to rack up accolades for fly fishing.
But as noted in a recent overview by Trout Unlimited, fishing there is “indeed not what it used to be. It is better.”
Labels: Collaboration, Family History, Henry's Fork, Personal History, Water Use, Watersheds, Yellowstone-Teton Nook of Idaho
A Feeding Frenzy Lesson for Community Image
Some of my former peers in visitor-centric economic and cultural development seemed relieved to learn something that became clear to me nearly a decade ago.
Less than four years before I retired after nearly four decades in that profession, a year-long firestorm of negative news coverage erupted.
Fortunately, the community marketing organization (DMO) I led at the time was already far more savvy than most about reputation management.
More on that lesson learned later but some of my colleagues seem to be drawing a mistaken conclusion from visitor surveys that negative news obsessions - even when local - are harmless to a community’s potential to draw visitors.
A few clarifications are in order:
There is no such thing as local news. News outlets measure audience by huge swaths of counties including dozens and dozens of cities and towns, based on where they hope to have influence.
Durham, North Carolina, where I live is part of a so-called media market that stretches over 22 counties and parts of two states.
It is an archaic, obsolete model in a digital world where businesses and consumers now have truly hyper local alternatives.
Even when periodic resident surveys show a community’s self-image is high and relatively immune from negative “local” news, there is another consideration.
It can still contaminate the views of not only potential daytrip visitors from surrounding communities but if, like Durham, a community generates so many jobs that 2 in 3 are held by commuting non-residents it results in the perpetuation of negative water-cooler myths.
When these non-residents hold hospitality-related jobs and interface with visitors at airports and in hotels, restaurants, stores and features, the impact can be hugely negative.
So management of a community’s reputation and defense of its brand or personality is broader than just what populations of potential visitors think or how immune they may be to negative “local” news.
Of course, all of this requires a DMO to continually monitor the opinions of residents, commuters and nearby, statewide, regional and national populations.
There are other uses of this information. Local stakeholders, including businesses owned or operated by non-residents and especially elected officials and local governments, often fall under the misconception that a community can build its way to prominence.
There are a lot of good reasons for a community to continually augment its visitor-related product, especially if it freshens place-based assets that truly differentiate a community without selling its soul to generica.
Regular opinion surveys such as those I mention above will not show any linkage of opinion to new developments.
I say “any” because after studying scores of these, there is little or no linkage to perception. Buzz created around new developments, even when and if sustained, just can’t reach enough people to dent misimpression, which are fueled by much more pervasive influences.
The DMOs I led used image surveys dating back to the very early 1980s so I’m not basing these observations on just one community or a particular building splurge or series of developments over time.
I was always intrigued that new development had little or no impact on perceptions but, as I promised, I will delve into what we learned from that year-long news frenzy from March 2006 until April 2007.
Because it a DMOs role to deal with news coverage, promoting and facilitating stories and making clarifications as well as serving the needs of journalists and editors whether they be “local,” state, regional, national or global, a byproduct of this event is that a lot of local stakeholders became more cognizant and appreciative of our role.
The coverage was regarding allegations of rape by some lacrosse team members at Duke.
Both the Durham Police and truly local news media were confident the allegations, while troubling, were without merit.
But then the newspaper in nearby Raleigh began to fan the flames which in turn reignited listserv chatter, especially among well-meaning social justice activists.
I happened to be on one such listserv during that re-ignition.
Thanks to amplification by the state AP office based in Raleigh, we were soon besieged by news trucks and a feeding frenzy of inaccurate information, innuendo, pejorative and speculation.
The Durham Police were forced to reopen the investigation and a lot of individual reputations and careers were ultimately destroyed by the time the Attorney General’s office came to the same conclusion made initially by investigators.
The experience has forever made me skeptical that during news frenzies we are really getting full and balanced information.
Well-meaning chamber types here, failing to understand or respect roles and always eager for a parade to lead, called meetings and began to reinvent the wheel about Durham’s image.
This gave us the opportunity to explain what was being done by the Durham DMO and an innovative coalition it created and facilitates called the Durham Public Information & Communications Council.
Made by those unaware that advertising has long been proven ineffective when it comes to reputation management, the suggestion was made to place full-page ads in national newspapers to set the record straight.
The Durham DMO responded that first we should probably see if perceptions had changed due to the intense and frenzied coverage and ran one of its periodic surveys.
We learned that nationwide, Durham’s positive rating was up and its negative rating down but that some people who didn’t know before had moved to neutral.
By the year after the frenzy, Durham’s image was higher than ever and its negative rating at an all-time low. Awareness was at an all time high.
The community’s image as a place to visit reached an all-time high with a 16-to-1 positive to negative ratio. Its image as a place for new business and growth potential was also higher than ever.
Many credited the opportunity Durham’s DMO took during the crisis to better familiarize reporters and editors and lay the seeds for future stories still being reaped today.
The lesson, of course, is not to go out and manufacture negative news frenzies as a means to boost awareness.
The take-away is that reputation is the product of a lot of very subtle but manageable influences, not just the news. Covering news is a very difficult profession but at its best a blunt instrument when it comes to getting the “full story” about something.
This is especially true, now that so many national news outlets, rather than take time to investigate, often just quote other news including reporters and editors.
It has been made even more difficult by the fact that as a nation we seem to expect every issue to be viewed as scripted, reality television, even, it appears, our elections for higher office.
I still shake my head at how many communities when faced by a similar frenzy, push their DMOs into wasting millions in advertising not just because ads have long been shown ineffective but because they haven’t even benchmarked perceptions through scientific polling.
Ads, by the way, are scientifically proven to be ineffective because they far too blunt a marketing tactic. Studies show that they merely harden existing perceptions both negative and positive.
Yelling about yourself as a community, which is what ads are, is not the way to build credibility with external audiences although they may give boosters and officials a false but expensive sense of solace.
Being authentic, honest and persistently earning the respect of national news channels over time is far more effective. Standing up to inaccuracies and injustice is better done one on one and by equipping grass-roots movements to intervene.
This isn’t to take news media off the hook. Time has proven the validity of Dr. Barry Glassner’s research in his excellent book entitled, The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things, something lost on a business journal tactic of stirring up what we should fear from restaurants with an A health rating.
As traditional media collapses, except for those with steadied and principled news management, we will see more and more news outlets manufacturing fear and ruining reputations, if not to stir up ratings, then to blackmail reluctant advertisers.
Labels: Community Image, Community-Destination Marketing, Destination Marketing Organization, DMO, News Media, News Reports, Reality TV
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John Byrne Calls Alan Moore a One-Trick Pony, Says He Wants Rob Liefeld on Watchmen 2
So thanks to Gene Ha on his Facebook page, I found this comment by John Byrne wherein he states that Rob Liefeld should do Watchmen 2 because it would invert Watchmen as Watchmen inverted the entire superhero genre, and because Liefeld and Moore are both one-trick ponies. Here's the full comment.
I was watching a few minutes of the WATCHMEN movie on cable last night, and I found myself musing on the notion of a “prequel” or sequel to the original comicbook series.
In WATCHMEN, Moore inverted — I might say perverted — pretty much everything the superhero genre is all about. He was not the first to do so, but WATCHMEN was the first time we got it all in such a concentrated dose. Largely, this seems to have happened because Moore is very much a one trick pony. The one trick works for him and his fans, so no problem there, I guess. But this got me to thinking about who would be a suitable candidate to produce another round of WATCHMEN.
The thought began to take shape in my head that any revisiting of those characters should be a continuation of the “tradition” of WATCHMEN. That is, as Moore trashed everything superheroes were all about, the next go-round should do the same with WATCHMEN itself. So the ideal candidate for doing the project should be someone who is equally a one trick pony, but from the opposite end of the spectrum. Immediately, one name sprang to the forefront: Rob Liefeld.
No, I’m not kidding. Liefeld would be to WATCHMEN what Moore was to superheroes in general. And it would be such fun to watch a whole flock of retailer’s heads exploding, as they tried to serve two entirely different faces of mammon!
- John Byrne
Look, no one's saying that Watchmen isn't an inversion of the superhero genre, but for John Byrne to call Alan Moore a one-trick pony betrays a very small sampling of Moore's works - and I'm talking very very small, since even his works in the 80s were all different from each other - or just another opinion in a long list of opinions that's designed to just get us talking about him. Byrne is a very, very opinionated man, and he's more than a little controversial.
Still, this whole argument about Moore being a one-trick pony is something I see quite a lot among fans who think Moore is all Watchmen and V For Vendetta. So allow me to dispel that notion right now.
In 1999, soon after I read Watchmen and V For Vendetta, Moore created the America's Best Comics (ABC) Universe, and I was there at the forefront and was blown away by every single first issue. Let's go through the list. I'm not even going to run through the other stuff Alan Moore has done aside from this like From Hell or Lost Girls or Big Numbers or 1963. This is evidence enough.
PROMETHEA, drawn by a guy you may have heard of, J.H. Williams III, and inked by Mick Gray, was modern-day mythology combined with views on magic and experimental page layouts. It is nothing like Watchmen.
TOP 10 is like Watchmen in that it is a different take on superheroes, and it may be classified as gritty in the sense that it is street-level. In a town full of superpowered beings, the comic focuses on the police precinct of the time. Gene Ha and Zander Cannon do a bang-up job on the artwork. Incidentally, it's been over 10 years since this came out, and I still find it to be the best comic book to get new readers into comics (so long as said new readers are at least 16).
And when they spun off one of the characters, SMAX, into his own miniseries, the tone is completely different, with more comedy, while the characters stay the same.
TOM STRONG has different styles throughout the entire series! You have pulp adventures, stories focused on kids with a more cartoony style, tributes to the Golden Age Captain Marvel, Harvey Kurtzman, space westerns, and a whole host of different types of stories! It's a tribute to the entire history of comics, and it's so lighthearted that you can't believe that the guy who wrote Watchmen wrote it! Chris Sprouse is the main artist, but you've got people like Gary Frank, Art Adams, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and a whole other lot of talented artists on art duties!
Then there's TOMORROW STORIES, which is an anthology title. Five features were showcased in this comic, including COBWEB, drawn by Melinda Gebbie, which is drawn in completely different styles depending on the story being told (one strip has cameos by the Yellow Kid and some Crumb characters):
THE FIRST AMERICAN, which is inspired by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's Fighting American:
SPLASH BRANNIGAN, channeling the best of Harvey Kurtzman:
The Will Eisner-inspired GREYSHIRT:
And the Herbie-inspired JACK B. QUICK:
How could anyone look at even any two of these comics and say that Moore is a one-trick pony? If anyone in this entire conversation is not a one-trick pony, it's Alan Moore! John Byrne, talented as he is (or was, rather), has a much much narrower range in terms of ability and basic ideas.
Oh wait, I forgot, he put Superman in a porno. That's range!
Featured In: Alan Moore, Cobweb, Duy, First American, gene ha, greyshirt, Jack B Quick, John Byrne, Promethea, Tom Strong, top 10, watchmen
So my problem comes from the first sentence of the comment. I didn't know people watched Watchmen on cable...
Brian Hague said...
Unfortunately, most of your counter argument supports Byrne's opinion, one with which I do not agree. Byrne's argument is that Moore's "one trick" is pastiche. Moore, in Byrne's view, takes an existing concept and tweaks it so that it fits his purposes, usually, Byrne says, with the tired, old cliche of "Everything you know is a LIE!"
Byrne occasionally hosts threads on his forum in which the question is asked, "What has Moore created anyway?"
As you point out, Greyshirt is a take on Eisner. Splash is a take on Kurtzman (and Cole, I believe.) Top Ten is a take on cop shows. Tom Strong, it is routinely argued, is just Doc Savage. Promethea, Byrne fans contend, is just Wonder Woman.
Sure there's a spin, but it remains in Byrne's eye and that of many of his fans just the same trick done over and over again, which Moore's supporters, simultaneously naive and jaded, both baby-bird gaping mouthed and "ennui-engorged," all fools who simply don't see how unoriginal Moore is and from where he's so obviously stealing his ideas, simply, blindly, idiotically DON'T GET.
What I believe Byrne willfully ignores is the degree of literacy and genuine emotional insight Moore brought to the industry. By doing the material fans often consider silly straight and with often devasting emotional impact, Moore elevated the standards by which writers judged these characters, while bringing with it and loss of innocence Byrne and his supporters vehemently oppose, as if the characters and concepts they seek to defend are too fragile, too flimsy to withstand interpretation of any sort except those already traditionally associated with them. New things may be done, only so long as they are in keeping with the other new things that have been done in the past and so forth...
In any case, your argument for Moore is still very much the same as Byrne's against him.
Still, more power to you. :-)
I think arguing for or against "originality" is a flawed argument. I never use it in a positive or negative manner, and I don't even use it in reviews, because what may be unoriginal to me may be new and novel to someone else. Of course Moore took some ideas and put a spin on them. Exactly how many ideas are truly original? Moore took those ideas and spun them so that there is a veneer of novelty to them. Yes, Promethea may have come off ideas about Wonder Woman (in a roundabout way), but the work done on Promethea was more meaningful and original than anything ever done on Wonder Woman. With Moore, it's never the ideas that are novel; it's the execution.
And I would actually agree with you that his main trick (not his "one" trick, as he has many) is pastiche, but certainly the Byrne quote would imply that he was saying that the one trick was "inverting" or "perverting" the superhero genre.
I'm actually more interested in what would bring you to comment on a two-year old post.
Dar said...
I think Byrne is talking about the fact that Moore seems driven by a desire to "undermine" and even "destroy" comic books, certainly "Watchmen" was about destroying superhero comics.
So his suggestion of having Leifeld destroy Moore's "Watchmen" just as it sought to destory superhero comics, is the point.
Ofcourse, I won't bring up More being a hypocrite and ann over-rated loon (who "borrowed" some of his "Watchmen" ideas from Claremont's "X-Men").
Neil Carey said...
Byrne essentially sees art/creativity as little more than working in an office: show up every day, kiss the bosses' ass, hand in TS reports on time, etc. What he's never figured out is how disposable this method will ultimately make you. You will have little to no readership of your own outside your work on the Big Two trademarked mint-in-box wooden toys, and as such, work will sooner or later dry up. Byrne can't have what Alan Moore (or most any creator of note) have any more than Gallagher could get a "Louie," and he'll never figure out why this is so.
[H] said...
Imbeciles often repeat the word overrated (so many times they forget to write it right).
What can an imbecile understand from Moore's work...?
...that's the one-trick pony Moore ALWAYS pulls, and it's so great.
Enjoy your Pringles.
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Farewell to Old Telephone Books or What Do Mark Zuckerberg, Groucho Marx and Paul Anderson Might Have in Common
by achidlovski · October 23, 2018
This issue of our History in Color series features legendary Paul Anderson, Olympic champion of Melbourne (1956) appearing as a guest contestant at one the first comedy-quiz TV shows “The Best of Groucho” in the 1950s.
The episode showed Anderson ripping apart a telephone book of Chicago. He already turned pro and no longer competed in Olympic weightlifting. Show producers introduced him as “strongman Paul Anderson”.
Obviously, it was an impressive strength feat at the time.
How many of us still use the telephone books?
I can hardly imagine Mark Zuckerberg of the Facebook repeating Anderson’s strength demo but, to some extend, both were changing the world and thinking out of the box.
Groucho Marx was one of the pioneers of radio and TV comedy and quiz shows. Mark Zuckerberg was a big part of transitioning into the digital world of communications. Paul Anderson did the farewell to the old media through his own talent.
All three were great talents in their own realm. All three were pushing the limits of their area. All three were thinking ahead.
Tags: History In ColorLift UpOlympicsPhotographyTelevisionUSAWeightlifting
Next story 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam: Czech Weightlifting Team
Previous story Henryk Trebicki (Poland)
Gennady Chetin (USSR/Russia)
Afternoon Shower
The Last World Championship For Yanko Rusev
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CS Interiors Expo
‘Sea Cloud Spirit’ to be DNV GL class
david 2019-02-17T16:35:49+00:00 February 17th, 2019|Ships|
DNV GL has been awarded a contract for the classification of the passenger sailing ship ‘Sea Cloud Spirit’, built by Metalships & Docks in Vigo, Spain.
Ordered by the Hamburg-based operator Sea Cloud Cruises, the vessel is designed to meet the increasing demand from both independent travellers and the charter market, mainly in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
“’Sea Cloud Spirit’ will offer a new level of comfort to sailing cruise passengers. In addition to beautiful views from private balconies, it will have the first elevator ever to be installed on a large sailing ship that will connect its five different decks.
“DNV GL has unrivalled competence in the passenger ship sector, and both our companies have a long history of working together, so the selection of class was a natural choice,” said Alberto Iglesias, Metalships & Docks Managing Director.
“We are very pleased that Metalships & Docks has chosen DNV GL as the preferred classification partner for this high-end sailing ship. The yard specialises in the construction of technically sophisticated ships, and we look forward to continuing our close collaboration on this exciting project,” said Torgeir Sterri, Regional Manager West Europe, DNV GL – Maritime.
“’Sea Cloud Spirit’ will become the third addition to our fleet of luxury sailing vessels. She will offer a unique combination of luxury accommodation, technologically advanced amenities and traditional sailing, and we look forward to welcoming our first guests on board in 2020.
“Knowing that both DNV GL and Metalships & Docks are working on this project, gives us confidence that it will be an outstanding vessel, delivered on time with the highest level of quality and safety,” added Daniel Schäfer, Sea Cloud Cruises Managing Director.
Measuring 138 m in length, the ship will be fitted with 69 outside cabins, 25 of which will have a private balcony. The vessel will a full three-masted sailing ship, able to carry up to 136 pax on luxury cruises, with 85 crew on board.
Partner Ship Design from Hamburg will be responsible for the design of the ship’s interior.
‘Sea Cloud Spirit’ is scheduled to set sail in the summer of 2020.
Her propulsion will be achieved by 4,000 sq m of sails and two diesel electric engines providing 1,700 kW power each.
© International Cruise Ship Industry. Registered in England & Wales Number 8356111 | VAT GB 214 7065 29. Published by www.onlypublishers.com
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Australian Sports Fee
March 25, 2018 International Sportaustralian, sportskurobily
Sport ( British English ) or sports ( American English ) contains all types of aggressive bodily exercise or video games which, 1 by casual or organised participation, purpose to use, maintain or improve bodily means and skills while offering enjoyment to members, and in some cases, leisure for spectators. The 2 finest-identified folks-etymologies are almost definitely unfaithful. One fanciful story holds that railroad employees hung their pink lanterns in entrance of the brothels so their crew could find them within the event of emergency. But one of the earliest references (1852) to coloured lanterns before the oyster saloons” was reportedly written by a railway switchman,” thereby derailing, perhaps, that idea. Another story suggests that the Pink Light Saloon” in Dodge Metropolis, Kansas started, or at least popularized, the expression. Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, there have been, in truth, dozens of saloons known as the Pink Light Saloon,” a lot of them in Kansas, but I might find no contemporary reference to a Crimson Light” saloon in Dodge Metropolis until long after 1893 when the expression first got here to gentle in print in Louisville.
Welcome to Close Call Sports. CCS objectively tracks and analyzes shut and controversial calls in sport, with nice regard for the principles and spirit of the sport. Developed from The Left Field Nook: MLB Umpire Ejection Fantasy League (UEFL), whose objective is to objectively track and analyze umpire ejections, video immediate replay reviews and their corresponding calls, with great regard for the foundations and spirit of the sport. He’s coming off a great week in Spartanburg on the Shrine Bowl and now he should resolve where he plans to play his college ball amongst Clemson, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Georgia and Alabama.
Begin date: Third Monday after start of season. Where would this content go to is anyone’s guess, assuming it does not comply with the RSNs. It could end up on FS1 or FS2. Possibly there is a push for this content to move solely to FOX Sports Go. CBS Sports has a sublicense for Big East basketball that calls for 20-30 video games. Up to now, the quantity has been at 20 each year. It appears to be like at golf as play, recreation, sport, and spectacle, discusses golf’s heroes, communities, and traditions, and analyzes the role of the virtues in golf, linking them to self-achievement, the last word good of golf experience. The e-book concludes with discussions of basic works of golf literary and movie artwork, together with Caddyshack, Lacking Links, Tin Cup, and Golf in the Kingdom, which celebrate its follies and glories.
The e-book begins with the highest rated GM and has narratives on each of the top 50. No spoilers in this assessment, so there will be no names of these 50 men listed. There are some surprises, in not only who is and is not included but also at some of the rankings. It’s because a GM’s total profession is used to find out the total point worth he earns. Some GMs of very successful teams started or ended their careers managing teams that weren’t excellent, thereby decreasing their complete value according to the creator’s system. This in turn will result in that GM rating considerably decrease than some may believe he ought to be. Conversely, some GMs who many to consider to not be among the biggest might achieve this rating because they took over groups that were championship caliber, thereby incomes factors because of the work of their predecessors.
However that sober recommendation can go to hell when the narcotic hope seems like it might really ship a favourable payoff. Whereas the Euro finals event will probably be stuffed with delightful details incidental to fattened narrative, even in its newly distended 24-group form (man, John) it dispenses with the regular beat of the season and shortens the distance between the peaks and the troughs. Everyone will get squeezed into bottlenecks: some will be crushed and some will likely be despatched soaring. The tournament fizzes with the certainty that some persons are going to get loaded.
← Sports Information, Cricket, Hockey, Tennis, Football, Method 1, Live Cricket Score Science, Pseudoscience, And Irrationalism →
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Review: Argento Soma (2000) Anime | My Reviews 28 MAR 2014
In 2054, an unknown alien life form fell from the sky. The destruction began and the United Nations government was forced reorganise the army to oppose them and to defend the Earth. This combat action was dubbed ‘The first encounter action’. In 2059, after five years, the battle is still going on.
Takuto Kaneshiro is a young scientist, currently completing his studies at a prestigious aerospace university. His girlfriend, Maki Agata, is also a young scientist, currently working with Prof. Noguchi to decipher more about the mysterious aliens. Their current project is a gigantic alien iron life form that fell from the sky. They finally managed to piece the patchwork giant up again and now hope to resurrect it.
But the experiment to awaken Frank, or Extra-1 as the military designates it, goes horribly wrong. As the facility known as Morgue crumbles around his ears, Kaneshiro can only watch in horror as the monster Extra-1 crushes his beloved Maki and Prof. Noguchi.
Somehow Kaneshiro’s life is sparred, but he is left horribly scarred and disfigured. As he lies recovering in the hospital bed, a mysterious man with red-hair approaches him. The man proposes a deal. If he gave Kaneshiro the power to destroy Extra-1, will Kaneshiro become his tool? With hatred burning in his heart, Kaneshiro accepts the stranger’s offer. He awakes to find himself with a new face, a new name and a new identity. Ryu Soma.
He joins up with the elite military anti-alien task force known as Funeral. Using their advanced weaponary such as the Sarg Mecha and the Mistel carrier, Funeral wage a non-stop war against the alien menace. Ryu fights alongside them, but his only real opponent shall ever be Extra-1.
Argento Soma is a very stylish artistic anime title. The stories are well told, the use of imagery nicely done and the music nicely presented. The ideas being portrayed are interesting and so you feel that this series should be a good package. Unfortunately it isn’t. It’s not bad, but the pace at which the story unfolds is so badly handled that you find yourself wishing the series would end already, that is, if you have continued watching it so far.
As mentioned before the story is relatively interesting. Aliens have invaded Earth and the military have scrambled to stop them. A special division called Funeral is established, and utilizing advanced mecha and machinery, are in charge of stopping the alien incursions. A pathwork alien falls in their hands and becomes their tool against the aliens. However, the main character, Takuto Kaneshiro loses his girlfriend as well as a part of his face when they revive the patchwork alien, known as Extra-1. Kaneshiro, pushed by a mystery man, assumes a new identity of Ryu Soma and joins up with funeral. The story focuses on the hate relationship between the two and how this is eventually resolved. The character, alien and mecha designs are all first class and the storytelling is very well done, but the series is let down by horrible pacing.
The animation on Argento Soma is very nicely done, with movements being very fluid and realistic. The aliens take on the same feel as those in Neon Genesis Evangelion, something instantly recognizable to Evangelion fans. The music is atmospheric and the anime has a beautifully melodic opening track. However, the end track sounds kind of out of place, so I usually skip listening to it.
Overall, you can see that the director was trying his best to put forward a polished and artistic piece of work. It would have succeeded too, if it only hadn’t been for the poor story pacing. If you enjoy a good drama and some mecha action, then you might enjoy Argento Soma. Just don’t expect to watch the series all in one go though.
(Historical Note: This was written back in August 2003. Thankfully my writing has improved greatly since then.)
Related Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argento_Soma
Friday 28/03/2014 Anime, My ReviewsAnime, argento soma, funeral, Kazuyoshi Katayama, Maki Agata, mecha, Mistel, review, Ryu Soma, Sarg, sunrise, Takuto Kaneshiro, victor entertainmentCraig Lotter
← Packt Publishing celebrate 2000th Release with Buy 1 Get 1 Free Promotion! The Big Sell →
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“Babe! Baaaabe!’
His voice was pleading.
“Nick off!” was the reply. “I’m bloody sick of ya! It’s all over between us. I’ve had a bloody ‘nuff! You can just stick it!”
“Aw, ba-a-be,” pleaded Jake. “Ya just don’t understand”.
“I understand alright”, retaliated Rosie. “I saw ya touchin’ up Melissa.”
“I wasn’t eva touchin’ her up. I was helpin’ her to stand. She’d had a few too many Breezers. That’s all. I was helpin’ her to stand up, for gawd’s sake!”
“O, yeah? With ya hand creeping up her leg like that? O, sure! Just helpin’ her to stand up. Yeah, right!”
Rosie stormed off up the road.
She and Jake were on their way home from a party. Walking, they were, because Jake had (once again) lost his licence. What was it for this time? Speeding or drink driving? He could hardly remember.
Rosie didn’t drive. Her Mum had tried to give her a few lessons, but the lessons had all ended in screaming sessions and hadn’t gone very far.
And now the young couple was walking along the side of the road, late at night, or, really, very early in the morning.
As the argument progressed, Rosie’s protestations became more personal.
“I’m so bloody sick of ya, I shoulda stopped havin’ anything to do with ya months ago. You’re a fuckin’ loser, Jake. Ya never did a decent thing in ya life and I’ll be glad to be rid of ya!”
“Aw, babe!” Jake was not one for words. “C’mon, babe, we’re good together, me and you. Don’t mess it up.”
“Jeez!” Rosie spat, “I’m almost glad I seen what you was up to with Melissa, it helped me make me mind up for sure. And now you can just piss off!”
Jake caught up with Rosie and grabbed her arm.
“C’mon babe,” he said again, pleadingly.
“I said, fuck off!” screamed Rosie and pulled her arm from Jake’s grasp.
He still held on to the flimsy nylon of her jacket sleeve as she tried to break free.
“Nick off, Jake!” one more yell as Rosie yanked her sleeve free from his grasp and plummeted forward towards the road, right in front of an on-coming car.
There was a god-awful “Bang!” as the car collided with Rosie.
“Ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-be!”
And “Shit, shit, shit!” the driver of the car muttered as he felt the horrendous bump. “Shit!” again, as he swerved and planted his foot firmly on the accelerator.
“Ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-be!” Jake fumbled for his mobile phone as he reached the motionless body of his (ex) girlfriend.
It was on the TV news the next day. The radio too.
“Hit-and-run tragedy. Eighteen year-old struck down and killed. Police searching for driver.”
The next morning, TV cameras were at the site where Rosie’s life was lost.
Jake was there too. Some friends from last night's party had also turned up.
There were fresh flowers placed on the side of the road and someone had already tied a bunch of artificial flowers around the nearest power pole.
The TV cameras were turned on as a young girl brought a (not very clear) photo of Rosie and tried to stick it to the post, beside the flowers.
A reporter spotted Jake and approached him.
“The mongrel didn’t even stop,” sniffed Jake, “She was the best girl in the world.”
Girls came and hugged Jake. Some of them wept, but mindful of the camera’s gaze, were careful not to smudge their mascara too much.
That night these scenes were played on the television news on four channels.
There was also a police report and plea for anyone knowing of a damaged white ute with a missing passenger side mirror.
The following night, a current affairs program aired a feature on hit-run drivers and invited Jake to be on the show. He repeated his mantra of “The mongrel didn’t even stop” and had trouble getting the words out about Rosie being “the best girl ever”.
The cameras zoomed in for a couple of close-ups of Jake’s tears and scrunched up face, interspersed with pictures of a happy, smiling Rosie; Photos gleaned from friends and family. Jake, being not one for words, had little more to say apart from his two statements, but answered the interviewer’s questions with a sniffily “yeah” or merely a nod or shake of his head.
By the third day, after the accident, Jake was a little brighter.
“Did ya see me on the telly?” was his opening query when greeting friends and family. His sorrowful face was replaced with a grin if someone replied that he’d been seen and it was “cool”, “awesome” or “wicked” or that he had looked “insane”, or “hot” or, even, “sick” (apparently meaning the opposite of sick).
News bulletins on various television stations played further scenes of the young people gathering at the scene of the accident. Several young women and men (girls and boys, really) were interviewed; although ‘interviewed’ was hardly the right word. They were ‘sound grabs’ of half sentences uttered by embracing, and sometimes sobbing, friends of the luckless Rosie.
The next day, day four, was the day of the funeral. TV cameras were again in evidence. Rosie’s friends (and some who hardly knew her at all), turned up, not only to grieve but for the spectacle, as the cameras rolled. The girls mainly wore black in all its inappropriate forms of too-short and too-tight, ill-fitting garments.
Jake had pride of place alongside Rosie’s grieving family as they walked sadly, through the gathered throng.
He sat in the front row of the funeral chapel and shed tears as the celebrant spoke, and hid his head in his hands when Rosie’s uncle rose to read a eulogy that told of Rosie’s happy childhood and how much she would be missed by so many people.
Outside the chapel, after the service, Jake tried not to look for the television cameras as he held a pink balloon aloft before letting it float up into the sky.
But he hoped they had got that shot of his tortured face.
Balloon ceremony over, Jake left the family and joined his mates.
“What channel was that camera-man from? The one right at the front of the chapel?” was the first thing he asked of the others.
He could hardly wait for the television news that evening to see how he looked.
Meanwhile, twenty-five year old Adam Joseph Miller had been apprehended by police who had traced the battered white ute with the missing wing mirror.
He was remanded in custody and details of his arrest were reported in the television and radio news as well as the following day’s newspapers.
Adam Miller was duly granted bail.
It took two years for the case to make it to court; a long time for Jake to wait for his next TV appearance. But he had kept a watchful eye on daily news reports and had even consulted court lists in the newspapers. He need not have bothered. The current affair show that had aired Rosie’s tragic story was on to it. They not only sent a camera crew to the court on the day, but sought out Jake for special attention.
Jake had gone to exceptional lengths (and expense) to buy a tailored suit that had come with a complementary white shirt and smart striped tie. At the age of nearly 22, he supposed he should look like a smart dresser and had gelled his hair to perfection.
The hapless Adam Joseph Miller, it was reported in the news, was sentenced to three years in prison for leaving the scene of an accident, for not rendering assistance and for dangerous and reckless driving. The charge of culpable driving was dismissed as, at least some of the legal fraternity accepted that the girl (as Adam had insisted) had run out in front of his car and there was no way of avoiding her at the time.
The evening news reported the verdict and sentence and showed the scene of Jake walking into (and later out of) the court. The reporter’s words simply recorded that, “The boyfriend of the victim, Rosie Anderson, was in court to hear the verdict. Jake Simpson, accompanied by his fiancée Melissa, said that justice had been served. And he could now get on with his life.”
Jake and Melissa watched the tv footage that evening.
“What ya think, ‘Lissie? I look great, or what?”
Having a little over two years of being famous on TV gave Jake a good feeling.
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β-Crystallin (bovine), (native)
ENZ-PRT224-1000 1 mg 207.00 USD
Alternative Name: CRYBB
MW: ~25kDa (observed)
Source: Isolated from bovine eye lens.
UniProt ID: P26444 (βA2), P11843 (βA3), P07318 (βB1), P02522 (βB2), P19141 (βB3)
Formulation: Liquid. In PBS, pH 7.2, containing 0.15M sodium chloride, 0.05M phosphate buffer, and 0.09% sodium azide.
Purity: ≥80% (SDS-PAGE; Western blot)
Purity Detail: Purified by multi-step chromatography.
Application Notes: Western blot control.
Shipping: Shipped on Dry Ice
Scientific Background: The β-crystallins comprise a complex group of heteropolymers which are assembled from 6 primary gene products, the acidic (βA1, βA2, βA3) and the basic (βB1, βB2, βB3) polypeptides. βA1 and βA3 are identical, except for their N-termini, and appear to be generated by alternative translation of the same gene. βB1 occurs in two forms, the primary gene product, βB1a, and βB1b which is generated through proteolysis. Further heterogeneity stems from post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and/or other modifications that accumulate with aging. The subunits range in size from 23-25 kDa for the βA and 26- 32 kDa for the βB polypeptides. The β-crystallins can be isolated in several aggregation states, spanning a molecular weight range from about 46 kDa to > 200 kDa. These include the octameric βH, the tetrameric βL1, and the dimeric β forms. β-crystallins generally represent the second most abundant group of proteins in the lens but their proportions and properties vary with development. In the prenatal bovine lens, β-crystallins account for 30% of the total proteins and βH is predominant. In the adult, the total has increased to 40% due to an increased production of the βL species. With the exception of βB1a and βB1b which are found only in βH and appear to be responsible for its aggregation, all polypeptides are found in all forms of the protein. The βB2 polypeptide (previously called βBp) predominates, accounting for about 50% of the total. The lack of stoichiometry in the subunit contents suggests that each of the different molecular weight populations is a mixture of aggregates with most of the major polypeptides represented. These various species appear to be in equilibrium and their proportions vary with protein concentration. It is likely that even more highly aggregated forms, are the major species in the lens.
Lane 1: MWM, Lane 2: 1µg, Lane 3: 2µg, Lane 4: 6µg β-Crystallin (bovine), (native), Prod. No. ENZ-PRT224.
Lane 1: MWM, Lane 2: Bovine eye lens extract, Lane 3: α-Crystallin (bovine), (native), Lane 4: α/β-Crystallin (bovine), (native), Lane 5: β-Crystallin (bovine), (native), Prod. No. ENZ-PRT224, Lane 6: γ-Crystallin (bovine), (native) probed with β-Crystallin monoclonal antibody (3.H9.2), Prod. No. ADI-SPA-230.
α-Crystallin (bovine), (native)
Isolated from bovine eye lens., ≥80% (SDS-PAGE; Western blot), WB, Antigen microarray | Print as PDF
ADI-SPP-225-J 1 mg 53.00 USD
ADI-SPP-225-L 5 mg 191.00 USD
γ-Crystallin (bovine), (native)
Isolated from bovine eye lens., ≥90% (SDS-PAGE; Western blot), WB | Print as PDF
ADI-SPP-240-J 1 mg 209.00 USD
Crystallin
Crystallin Native protein
Small Heat Shock Proteins
Heat Shock Proteins & the Cellular Stress Response Catalog
Disease-Associated Stress Signaling
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هتل توریست Your slogan goes here
Guests Feedback
فارسی EN
Khaju Bridge
Kingi Bridge
This bridge also is called "Kingi Bridge", "Baba Roknodin", "Shiraz" and "Hassan Abad" which belongs to the time of Safavid King Abbas II; it was built in 1060 AD. Khaju Bridge has 24 arches and is 133 metres long and 12 metres wide. The pass way of the bridge is 7.5 meters wide, made of bricks and stones with 21 larger and 26 smaller inlet and outlet channels.
As it was said there are some other name for this bridge. It is also called Baba Roknodin because it is located on the way of Baba Roknodin’s tomb, the famous mystic. It is called Hassan Abad because it was started to be constructed at the time of Hassan Beik Turkoman. It is also called Shiraz because in that time, travelers form Shiraz passed on it; and finally it was called Khaju bridge because it located in Khaju neighborhood.
King Abbas II around 1650, on the foundations of an older bridge which has foundation at the end of Timurid times. There is a special building made or a temporary stay of the Safavid king and his family (it is called Beiger Beiki). All their ceiling are decorated with painting. The name of Khaju bridge was adopted from the title used for elders in Safavid era.
This bridge is located at the extreme east of Kamal Esma’il Street and the extreme south of Khaju Street. As archaeologists discovered the bridge was built on the foundations of an older bridge damaged at that time. About the building of the bridge, the founder of the building and the quality of it, the different words were written; but the most appropriate is the one said by the author of "the history of historical buildings of Isfahan"; hence, without any change, it is quoted. The beautiful and historical Khaju Bridge is located at the extreme east of Kamal Esma’il Street and the extreme south of Khaju Street which lead to Takht-e Foulad (a historical cemetery in Isfahan) and the rroad to Yazd. The bridge has been built on the ruins of HasanBayk Bridge by king Abas II in the (1065 AD).
Isfahan Tourist Hotel is ready to welcome you with a well-trained staff. We hope you enjoy your stay at this hotel.
Check the room booking prices and special discounts from the menu
Home Monuments Khaju Bridge
The hotel's location in central Esfahan couldn't be better, whether you're travelling for business or leisure. It is located at superior geographical position; it's location is near tourism and shopping centers as well as historical monuments.it is 50 meters from the hotel to Chahar Bagh Abbasi st., 500 meters to the end of the Naghshe Jahan Square and 100 meters to Zayandeh Roud river.
We are 15 minutes from two major bus terminals .
Our hotel is 45 minutes from Esfahan International Airport.
Hotel Position on the Map
Address: Abbas Abad st., Chahar Bagh Abbasi blv., Isfahan, Iran
Tel: (+98) 31 32204437 / (+98) 31 32204479
Fax: (+98) 31 32201639
Copyright © 2015 Tourist Hotel, All rights reserved.
Design and development by Farasun ICT
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Covalux
"We only pay for what we use, which is very important nowadays"
Go back to customers stories
Why Covalux chooses Cloud2be
Active since 1989 in the automotive sector and more particularly in the distribution of automotive parts, tools, lubricants, cleaning products, etc ..., Covalux has grown over the years through the acquisition of existing stores, strengthening its coverage of the whole Walloon area in Belgium.
Covalux is a constantly evolving company. Hence the importance of finding an IT solution capable of keeping pace with these developments at a minimum cost. Xavier Rulkin, Finance and Administration Manager, explains to us why he chose Cloud2be as a cloud computing platform.
Why Cloud2be?
"I selected Cloud2be because Covalux is a constantly evolving company and the number of stores has changed over the years. After working together with EASI for over 10 years, we decided to reconsider this collaborative relationship and have a look at what alternatives the market had to offer. In the end, we turned back to EASI with renewed confidence and all our doubts dispelled, to avail ourselves once more of its Cloud2be solution."
The collaborative relationship with EASI got off to a start with the renewal of our IT infrastructure. As the systems we were using were outdated we were faced with the choice of investing in new better-performing machines or opting for a cloud solution. In the light of a detailed analysis, EASI was seen to be the one that could offer us a tailor-made Cloud solution. Our company is always on the move and developing, while our staff constantly needs access to our business-critical applications: from our stores, our main office and branches, on the road,... Towards this goal, purchasing and maintaining our own infrastructure and ensuring its accessibility at all times is an almost impossible and prohibitively expensive task for us."
"Cloud2be means we now boast an extremely flexible IT infrastructure. Adding another sales outlet, more or fewer users, adding some additional storage,... all of this has now become an extremely nimble process. And something that is very important nowadays: we only pay for what we use."
"We also selected Cloud2be because as well as proposing a technical solution it also contributed ideas and really helped us from a strategic perspective. Unlike other cloud providers, Cloud2be is operated by genuine experts, who are close at hand and can actually be reached, and help us to make the right decisions. We also think it is important for our data to be located in our home country."
No fully-fledged IT department
"Our organisation does not really have a fully operational IT department. Due to a shortage of in-house IT skills we were faced every four years with the difficult question of deciding what kind of infrastructure we should invest in. We now rely on Cloud2be: consequently, we are sure that we can always have the latest technologies without the need to have in-house expertise for this purpose."
Sector(s)
Solution(s)
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How Smeg boosts its salesteam with a mobile tool: SmartSales.
Delfood
Delfood explains how they developed a very trustful relationship with EASI during many years.
KBVB-URBSFA
The Belgian Football Association explains why they choose Adfinity as their financial management tool.
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Find affordable Key West accommodation that doesn’t compromise on standards at Fairfield Inn and Suites Key West. Enjoy all the sights and thrills of a tropical island and all the luxuries of the hotel’s lavishly appointed rooms.
Rooms feature bright, tropical decor, a host of modern amenities such as Wi-Fi, cable TV, a DVD player and a games console, as well as customised bathrooms. Relax at the poolside tiki bar, overlooking the enormous, 72,000 gallon, free form pool. Or enjoy any of the incredible attractions featured on this gorgeous island. Experience the excitement of an encounter with dolphins on an eco tour, take out a kayak to explore the coastline, or take the ferry to the historic Fort Jefferson, steeped in civil war history.
Get around the island with ease, making the most of the hotel’s scooter and bike rentals. Find a whole new side to life at Fairfield Inn and Suites Key West.
Fairfield Inn & Suites Key Features
LCD Flat Screens
106 Beautiful Rooms & Suites
Tikki Bar
The Inn at Key West Crest Hotel Suites Ocean Pointe Suites at Key Largo Key West
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The Aviators
Auto Exotica
Jet Truck
The RVers
The Bikers
Doctor Pain
Vince Neil’s Sin City Reign
The last air show season was the deadliest in years – a fact that weighs heavily on performers and show crews every minute of every day. But one man bears the burden of responsibility more than anyone else. The man controlling the show… the Air Boss, Wayne Boggs.
Attended by tens of millions across the country annually, air shows are growing in popularity and Wayne’s shows are the best of the best. He routinely bosses shows at venues including the home of the Blue Angels at Naval Air Station Pensacola, the massive Jones Beach air show in New York, and the ultra high-security show at Andrews Air Force Base before the President of the United States.
Each week, “Air Boss” follows Wayne as he juggles more aircraft in an hour than most air traffic controllers do in a whole shift. Adding earth-shaking horsepower, gravity-defying stunts, daredevil performances, smoke, flames, and explosions just makes it all the more spectacular.
@FourPointsTV
Tweets by @TheAviatorsTV
At FourPoints our mission is to work tirelessly and passionately in support of the creation of new and exciting television programs intended to serve as an attractive business vehicle for sponsors and broadcasters while at the same time entertaining and educating viewers.
© Copyright - FourPoints Television Productions
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Home Business & Tech Hawaii Social Media Influencers? Why Parents of Millennials Need to Pay Attention...
Hawaii Social Media Influencers? Why Parents of Millennials Need to Pay Attention to Social Media Celebrities.
As a parent and businesswoman, I recently came to an important realization: influencer marketing is astonishingly powerful and I must pay attention to it. Because it is changing everything.
This all starts when I hear my teenage son giggling under the covers. He’s watching a video of a YouTuber called “Guava Juice.” I have never heard of him before, but apparently he counts millions of viewers (including my son) among his enthusiastic fanbase. Guava Juice is a social media influencer from the Philippines, and very popular with Hawaii’s Keiki.
What is a social media influencer?
A social media influencer is someone who has established authentic credibility in a specific industry or niche, and who has influence over others and has propelled regular people into “social media stardom” with powerful, engaged followings. They get courted by brands to promote on their social media channels because people trust them. In just a few hours, they can garner results that used to take mainstream marketing years to achieve.
Social media influencers have, in a sense, become the new celebrities. And influencer marketing is the new celebrity endorsement.
Think of it as word of mouth…on steroids.
Guava Juice, for example, attracts eager audiences with his over-the-top, silly videos. When my son will spend hours laughing at videos of Guava Juice taking baths in Sriracha, Skittles, and Doritos (notice the brands?). On a slow day, these videos average a whopping 4 million viewers. The marketing potential is undeniable.
Case in point: a week later, my son asks me for 10 bags of Doritos, so he and his friends can make a video. They create their own gaming channel. At the end of each video, they thank their two subscribers (each other) for following them, and ask their two viewers (themselves) to “like and subscribe!”
Clearly, my son has been influenced.
Since witnessing this, I have been on a mission to learn more about who our children are being influenced by, and how deep this influence goes.
When I first hit Google, I find an article by Hawaii Business Magazine. It references several business women who have built followings as social media managers. It is written from an agency perspective, and focuses on more main stream influencers in retail and fashion.
This is when I realize that no two influencers are created equal. There are influencers for every kind of niche with varying demographics, influence, and reach.
But my son and his friends don’t know who these women are. So I begin to wonder what this international phenomenon looks like at the local level. Who are the social media stars of Hawaii?
After a bit of research, I learn that the two most famous social media stars from Hawaii are influencers called Nigahiga and Bretman Rock. Their following is huge.
Nigahiga, now living in the mainland, has over 40 million combined followers.
And Bretman Rock, a teenager from Ewa Beach, has over 20 million. I personally don’t allow my children to watch Bretman Rock. The language and sexual content is just not appropriate for kids. But pushing these boundaries is precisely what catapulted him to success. And he is now reportedly pulling in $4000 to post a single photo.
808 Viral
But Nigahiga and Bretman Rock are just two participants in a network of social media influencers here.
The first locally based millennial entertainment page to build a name in Hawaii is called, appropriately, 808 Viral. It’s a group of influencers who collaborate on various outrageous comedy skits. Many of their challenge videos, such as “Mokes Try Vegan Food” and “Mystery Manapua,” have gone viral.
All of the kids, it seems, know about 808 Viral. And as a parent, I’m okay with that. I find them to be a nice group making an attempt to be more responsible when it comes to a younger audience. For example, they assisted a fellow parent in helping to diffuse a bullying issue. They have been speaking at schools and supporting community projects, That was a major plus for me. I still monitor their content, however, before letting my kids watch it.
Their popularity has resulted in enviable business partnerships. They recently received sponsorship from Hele Gas and Aloha Kia. Moreover, several of the 808 Viral members left to build solo “brands.” Pashyn, known for her viral video “Pidgin Siri,” has accumulated a following of over 100,000 followers.
808 Viral’s founder, Daniela Stolfi-Tow, has been working with Hawaii influencers for several years and has created a network of over 1.5 million followers. To date, her material has pulled in over 500 million views.
“Everyone started it just for fun and it just grew and grew. One day we were out shooting a video and groups of people surrounded us wanting photos. They knew all our names, and every video we had done. We were just looking at each other like, wow, is this really happening? It is pretty amazing that anyone can pick up a camera and go viral from their living room and become a star overnight.” said Stolfi-Tow
Other popular Hawaii social media influencers include mythical creature Mermaid Kariel. Her audience now totals over half a million followers who love to watch her breathtaking underwater adventures.
Bretman Rock’s sister Princess (@maelovecleo) has her own channel totaling over 450k, even her 2 year old daughter Cleo has 100,000 fans. Both have several clothing sponsors. Little Cleo has even learned to catwalk from her Uncle Bretman.
Alex Farnham (channel name Mockstars) was so successful he moved to California and has been in several comedy movies and parody videos with millions of views. He most recently can be seen in the Mike’s Hard Lemonade commercials.
I found myself cracking up giggling under the covers as I watched all these videos. I realize that my son isn’t the only one in my house who has been influenced. #lol
Some more reading:
Not All Influencers Are Created Equal: Celebrity vs. Influencer Part 1
Previous articleTraveling Road Show USA
Next articleThink Tech: Business in Hawaii with Reg Baker & The Maui Chamber
Check out past stories by guest contributors!
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Wednesday, 10 June 2015 - 12:43
IGP to study the complaint about the threats on former President
The IGP has drawn his attention to the complaint made about the threats and the security situation of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
When our news team contacted, Police Media Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekera said, investigations would be initiated after studying the particular complaint.
The complaint about the threat and security of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was made yesterday by People’s Movement for a clean country.
Meanwhile, a group of people hoisted black flags yesterday in protest of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s participation in a Bodhi pooja at Ancient Isipathanaramaya in Polonnaruwa.
Former President’s Media Coordinator Rohan Weliwita told our news team later, the former president addressed the people at the election operation office of MP Roshan Ranasinghe which is located near Ancient Isipathanaramaya temple.
He also said that power was interrupted at the time of the former president’s speech.
However, the former president is scheduled to participate in several religious programs organized at Welikanda Sudarshanaramaya in Manampitiya, Bodhi-rukkaramaya in Minneriya, Sumangalaramaya and at Paschi-maramaya in Medirigiriya.
Meanwhile, Media Deputy Minister Shantha Bandara also emphasized the necessity to provide proper security to the former president.
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Home >> Health >> Men >> Health conditions
Experts say that asthma effects more than five million people in the UK. So read about simple treatments and the symptoms to look out for with our article
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«Гласность — это черепаха, ползущая к свободе слова» / А.К. Симонов /
После внеплановой проверки, проведенной Минюстом на основе обращения гражданина, «запретившего разглашать свои персональные данные», ФЗГ был признан «некоммерческой организацией, выполняющей функции иностранного агента». 19 ноября 2015 года организация была включена в соответствующий реестр.
Главная О фонде Новости Мониторинг Книги Право Образование
Glasnost defence foundation digest No. 580
1. Criminal charges brought against journalist and blogger Sergei Reznik (Rostov-on-Don, South)
2. Journalist to stay under arrest for two more months (Rostov Region, South)
3. Regional newspaper editor fired (Voronezh, Central Russia)
4. Bus company claims 100,000 roubles from newspaper in reputation-related damages (Voronezh)
5. Editor charged with libel fails to appear in court to answer plaintiff’s questions (Republic of Karelia, Northwest)
Monitor of freedom of expression violations in Kazakhstan in July 2012
Police apologizes for manhandling flash-mobbers (Omsk, Siberia)
News from partners
PDI Siberia selects projects for nationwide contest of investigative journalists
Criminal charges brought against Rostov-based journalist and blogger Sergei Reznik
By Anna Lebedeva, GDF correspondent in Southern Federal District
The Rostov Region branch of the RF Investigative Committee has circulated a press release about criminal charges brought against a Rostov resident, 36, under Article 204.2b of the RF Criminal Code on suspicion of his giving a bribe to a government servant for performing an a priori unlawful commercial operation.
“According to investigators, the suspect on 21 August 2012, in the daytime, gave the administrator of an official motor vehicle examination station 2,000 roubles for his unlawfully writing out a certificate of his car’s good technical condition without actually examining the car,” the press release said.
Earlier, on 24 August, the regional police department circulated another press release, entitled “Prominent Corruption Fighter Attempts to Get Car Repair Certificate Unlawfully”. A check-up of the man’s identity, the release said, showed “he is (Sergei Reznik), a journalist and blogger, a staffer of the newspaper Novaya Gazeta v Yuzhnom Federalnom, widely known for his criticism of corrupt and other unlawful practices within law enforcement”.
“This is a third attempt during one year to start criminal proceedings against me,” Reznik told the GDF correspondent. “Last time, a complaint lodged by Southern Federal District Deputy Prosecutor Vorobyov led to an attempt to open a criminal case against me on libel charges. In the wake of one of my publications, unidentified persons started calling me on the phone to threaten my family and me personally. I began receiving SMS messages like ‘(Prisoner) Tolmachev is bored and waiting for a cellmate’; ‘Your mother will get her head cut off with a spade’, etc., and threats to have gun cartridges planted in my car, and so on. My report to the police about those threats was ignored and left unanswered. On 21 August, I called on the phone someone at a car maintenance station and asked him to get my car examined as quickly as possible. When I arrived at the station, the guy gave me a technical examination card – a filled-out one, as it turned out later – and said, ‘Here, you may start the check-up process.’ But as I got behind the wheel, my car was instantly blocked by police vehicles, and I was detained. I see it as a police provocation.”
“I don’t know yet what kind of a legal case (the police) might trump up against me,” Reznik wrote in his web blog a few months ago. Indeed, it was hard to foresee they might charge him with illegally buying a vehicle examination certificate. Funny, isn’t it? And pretty sad, too…
Journalist in Rostov Region to stay under arrest for two more months
At the insistence of the Rostov Region Central Investigative Department, Judge Bandovkin of the Leninsky district court has ruled for journalist Aleksandr Tolmachev to stay under arrest for two more months. The journalist has been in custody for six months already, and his defence lawyers asked the judge to release their client with a written pledge to stay in town and not try to “meddle” in the investigation process or “put pressure” on witnesses. Besides, over the months in detention, he has had an exacerbation of a chronic disease and been operated on; his full-scale post-surgery rehabilitation would be impossible in prison, the lawyers stressed. Yet their plea was turned down.
Tolmachev himself believes he is under prosecution for his criticism of the region’s law enforcement and judiciary.
As we have reported, criminal proceedings were originally instituted against a group of persons (Gologan, Morozova and Tolmachev), but Tolmachev alone was taken into custody. Meanwhile, the car they were allegedly extorting from the victim, Kozlov, was re-registered in the name of Morozova, not Tolmachev; it is Morozova who was the beneficiary under that car-sale deal. As regards Tolmachev, he represented the interests of Gologan and Morozova in court, where hearings were underway of Kozlov’s debt repayment to the company for which he had worked together with Gologan and Morozova. Shortly before the final sitting, at which a decision was to be passed, Kozlov suggested to settle the conflict amicably: he agreed to repay his debt by offering the plaintiffs his son’s car which was then re-registered (on 15 December 2011) in Morozova’s name (for details, see Digest 550 and Digest 553).
The way his defence lawyers look at it, a scheme had been devised “to catch Tolmachev red-handed” as money would be changing hands – but he did not take the money, and nevertheless he was arrested. Investigator Urazova said during the latest court sitting that Tolmachev was suspected of committing three more similar offences, so the term of his arrest needed to be extended for investigators to be able to work out the details.
The Rostov Region police department’s press service continues insisting that the criminal proceedings against Tolmachev “are not pre-ordered or politically underpinned”.
Regional newspaper editor fired in Voronezh
By Roman Zholud, GDF correspondent in Central Federal District
The Voronezh Region administration has fired Konstantin Chaplin, editor of the regional newspaper Voronezhsky Kuryer (VK), replacing him with a former administration official.
As the owner of the newspaper, the administration acknowledged the editor was replaced at its own initiative; it cited his “inefficient management” as one of the reasons, Abireg.ru business news agency reported. Unofficial sources, though, link his sacking with a recent VK publication illustrated by a photo of a devastated building with the legend, “After the governor’s visit”, under it.
The chief editor’s vacancy went to Vassily Smolyanov, former head of the regional Press and Public Communications Department, the news agency said.
Bus company in Voronezh claims 100,000 roubles from newspaper in reputation-related damages
The VoronezhPassazhirTrans (VPT) bus company has lodged a legal claim against the newspaper Trud-Chernozemye and its chief editor Yuli Pulver, demanding 50,000 roubles from each of the defendants in compensation for damages to its business reputation.
The claim comes in the wake of two publications, in which Pulver provided details about some aspects of the bus company’s activity that struck him as dubious.
VPT is now urging him to disclaim a passage in his story “Transport Money Kickback” that said the company’s general director, A. Zotkin, “described his firm’s financial situation as pre-bankrupt”, which VPT insists he never did, since “a state-financed enterprise cannot in principle be declared bankrupt in line with effective legislation”.
His other story “Who Maligns Mr Zotkin?” said, in part, that “Zotkin made all the drivers sign a paper expressing their voluntary consent to have their wages reduced to the minimum” and that “technical maintenance [of the bus pool] is purely formal”. The plaintiff wants these statements to be disclaimed, too.
Finding the above passages in the two publications smearing, VPT says they damaged the business reputation of both the company and its general director, and negatively affected its relationships with clients, partners and potential employees.
The first hearing was held on 20 August, the next is scheduled for 17 September. The defendants’ interests are represented in court by Galina Arapova, director and senior legal expert of the Media Rights Defence Centre in Voronezh.
Editor charged with libel in Karelia fails to appear in court to answer plaintiff’s questions
By Anatoly Tsygankov, GDF correspondent in North-Western Federal District
Karelian MP Alexander Stepanov (from the Communist party faction) is defending his honour and dignity in court against Petrozavodsk City Council member Vladimir Kaplin, who has now broken off with the Communists altogether. In an interview for the newspaper Sovet Drevlyanki (SD), Kaplin said that Stepanov, who is party secretary for ideology, has “turned the CPRF branch into his private business”, and hinted that Stepanov compiles lists of candidates for council seats for pay.
Since the legal claim was lodged, Kaplin has never appeared in court, sending an authorised representative to attend the hearings in his stead. Sovet Drevlyanki has never sent anyone to court either, although Stepanov (who has no claims to SD itself) insists that the newspaper editor or the journalist who interviewed Kaplin appear in court to give testimony. Stepanov finds it improper for the defendant and the newspaper that “belied” him to ignore the hearings, which have several times been adjourned because of their absence.
Judging by the name attached to the interview, it is a pseudonym (since no SD staffer bears such a name), so the plaintiff insists on summoning editor Natalya Zakharchuk to testify in court, which she has so far refused to do. In view of this, Stepanov intends to appeal to the Karelian branch of the Grand Jury of the RF Journalists’ Union to consider the ethical aspect of the conflict and reprimand the editor for failing to observe professional journalistic ethics. In this way, he hopes, he might get Zakharchuk to reply to the questions he would otherwise ask her in court. No one can guarantee, though, that the Ethics Council would be able to persuade the editor to meet with Stepanov personally.
The Adil Soz International Freedom of Expression Foundation has published the results of its monitoring of freedom-of-expression violations in Kazakhstan in July 2012.
A total of 78 reports were registered, among them the following:
The period for a media outlet to apply for registration or re-registration has been reduced to 10 working days;
The management of the Dina trade network refused to accept the Aktobe-based newspaper Diapazon for retail sale;
A court of law ruled for the newspaper Uralskaya Nedelya and journalist Lukpan Akhmedyarov to pay a regional administration official 5 million tenge (in moral damages);
A court of appeals cancelled the Ust-Kamenogorsk city court’s decision in favour of the newspaper “Flash!” and journalists Denis Danilevsky and Sergei Mikheyev.
Since this year began, 9 criminal charges have been brought against media and citizens exercising their right to free expression and unhindered gathering and imparting information, along with 46 legal claims worth a total of 4,072,030,000 tenge (100 tenge = US $0.65).
[For details, click on http://www.adilsoz.kz ]
Police in Omsk apologizes for manhandling flash-mobbers
By Georgy Borodyansky, GDF correspondent in Siberian Federal District
After the 19 August Zombie Parade flash mob in Omsk, the editors and journalists of a number of local and federal media sent an open letter to the regional police chief, Lt.-Gen. Yuri Tomchak, to complain about “undisguised acts of arbitrariness accompanied by violence and threats of violence in respect of activists and journalists”, committed by police officers dispersing the flash-mobbers.
A video clip featuring uniformed and plain-clothed policemen cracking down on activists was posted on YouTube. Specifically, it showed police officers detaining Mikhail Yakovlev, the alleged organizer of the “unauthorised action”, although a flash mob, just as any other mass non-political cultural event, did not require any official authorisation. Moreover, one day earlier, Yakovlev had explicitly written in the VKontakte social network he had nothing at all to do with the planned action. On 19 August, he came to the Irtyshskaya Embankment as a correspondent for the MetrOmsk civil journalism agency to report on a peaceful march and a theatrical show being held there.
While video-recording his detention, Dmitry Pozechko, a freelance reporter for the newspaper Svobodnaya Rech, faced an outburst of gangster-like aggression on the part of a man in a blue jacket who looked very much like Lt.-Col. Viktor Galkin, acting chief of the Omsk police. Pozechko was recording him and several other police officers dragging Yakovlev out of his car and starting to search him in the absence of witnesses, when the man resembling Galkin jumped at him, swearing badly; he yelled at him “to beat it” and threatened to “smash this camera” against his head.
Human rights defenders and lawyers saw this as an offence falling under Article 119 (“Threat of violence or infliction of grievous bodily harm”) and Article 114 (“Interference with a journalist’s lawful professional activities”) of the RF Criminal Code. They urged the regional police command, prosecutor’s office and Investigative Committee to “investigate the 19 August incident without delay and bring the police officers involved to justice”. The open letter was signed by editors and journalists of the OmskPress, RIA Novosti and DO-Info news agencies; the Komsomolskaya Pravda v Omske newspaper; the Omsky Veteran and SuperOmsk news websites; a Novaya Gazeta correspondent and other media workers – more than 20 in all.
The Omsk police promptly reacted to the journalists’ letter and called an emergency briefing on 23 August, attended by several high-ranking police officers, including Galkin; the latter apologized for his unseemly behaviour during the street action to all attending journalists and offered to personally present his apologies to Dmitry Pozechko and Mikhail Yakovlev who were absent during the briefing.
Press Development Institute Siberia has finished accepting project proposals for competition within the framework of the “New Media for a New Society” project which involves journalists conducting public and independent investigations.
After the first two rounds, having considered a total of 52 proposals from 21 regions all across Russia, the Jury selected 19 project proposals from journalists in 12 regions, from Kaliningrad to Krasnoyarsk, with whose authors PDI Siberia will conclude agreements for the provision of methodological and consulting support.
All the projects aim to highlight law and human rights violations deserving public attention. The subject matter of would-be investigations is diverse: ecological law violations and concealment of socially significant information; corruption and conflict of interest attending the implementation of government-financed task programmes; corrupt practices within law enforcement, health care and education; monopolistic grip on utility services; lack of transparency in the distribution of government grants for NGOs; affiliation of power and business; the gap between government officials’ incomes and expenditures, etc.
Listed below are the selectees and themes of their proposed investigations:
Vladimir Alekseytsev (Novosibirsk Region) – “Aftermath of Radioactive Contamination of Parts of Novosibirsk Region”;
Sergei Andreyev (Altai Region) – “Destruction of Berd River Head: Consequences”;
Nailya Biktimirova (Republic of Tatarstan) – “Law Violations by Municipal and State Officials Leading to Mass-Scale Destruction of Greenery in Kazan”;
Svetlana Voronkova (Novosibirsk Region) – “Deliberate Bankruptcies of Large Companies: ZAO Termofor Case Study”;
Tatyana Vorontsova (St. Petersburg) – “Why Are Hazardous Product Recycling Systems Unworkable in Russia?”
Olga Gnezdilova (Voronezh Region) – “Why Are Kindergartens Inaccessible to Children in Voronezh Region?”
Ilya Grinberg (Krasnoyarsk Region) – “Abuses by Krasnoyarsk Region Forensic Medical Examiners Providing Services for Pay”;
Svetlana Gushchina (Perm Region) – “Use of Administrative Leverage in Pressing City of Tchaikovsky’s Sole Independent Management Company Out of Housing and Community Services Market”;
Aleksandr Zotin (Perm Region) – “Consequences of Perm Community Service Companies’ Affiliation with Government Authorities and Local Self-Governments”;
Victoria Kashinskaya (Kaliningrad Region) – “Corruption and Conflict of Interest Attending Implementation of ‘Amber Russia’ Government Task Programme”;
Dmitry Kizyanov (Republic of Adygea) – “Disabled People Exercising Right to (Subsidised) Housing: Problems and Hurdles”;
Olga Loskutova (Perm Region) – “Felling Forests: When Is This Deemed Unlawful?”
Yevgeny Mitrofanov (Novosibirsk Region) – “State and Municipal Officials’ Expenditures Measured Against Incomes”;
Yevgeny Semenikhin (Altai Region) – “How To Make Distribution of Grants for Altai NGOs and Media Transparent”;
Tatyana Sergeyeva (Perm Region) – “Substandard Pork Sold to Berezniki Residents as Quality Meat”;
Anna Smirnova (Perm Region) – “Consumer Rights Violations in Perm Region’s Food Supermarkets”;
Viktor Smirnov (Kemerovo Region) – “Establishment of ‘Pocket’ Management Companies and Condominiums As a Means of ‘Legal’ Peculation of Novokuznetsk Residents’ Payments for Utility Services”;
Yulia Shevtsova (Kirov Region) – “Law Enforcement and Judiciary Flaws Protecting VIPs from Legal Liability”;
Roman Yushkov (Perm Region) – “Platoshino Villagers in Perm Region Catch Severe Enteric Infection Through Contaminated Tap Water”.
Projects will be implemented privately in the “Investigations” section of the relevant website in the Taktaktak.ru human rights social network. Members of investigative teams will be invited to attend actual and online training sessions to regularly receive specialist consulting and professional advice from more experienced colleagues. At the end of the investigation, each journalistic text will be checked by professional lawyers for potential legal flaws prior to publication.
The authors of the resulting publications will compete among themselves, and nominees for the main prize will be invited to attend inter-regional expertise-sharing conferences in May 2013 and November 2014.
Apart from PDI Siberia, the “New Media for a New Society” project is co-sponsored by the Journalistic Investigations Agency (St. Petersburg), the Regional Press Support Foundation (Moscow), the Media Rights Defence Centre (Voronezh), the Journalistic Technology Centre (Nizhny Novgorod) and the Perm Region branch of the RF Journalists’ Union, with assistance from the European Union and Internews Network.
This digest was prepared by the Glasnost Defence Foundation in Moscow. The digest has been issued once a week, on Mondays, since August 11, 2000.
Currently it is distributed by e-mail to 1,600 subscribers in and outside Russia.
Editor-in-chief, Alexei Simonov
Boris Timoshenko, Head of Monitoring Service;
Svetlana Zemskova, GDF Lawyer;
Vsevolod Shelkhovskoy, translator.
We welcome the promotion of our news items and articles but if you make use of any information from this digest or other GDF materials please acknowledge the source.
Glasnost Defence Foundation, Room 432, 4 Zubovsky Boulevard,
119992 Moscow, Russia.
Telephone/fax: +7 (495) 637-4947 and +7 (495) 637-4420
e-mail: boris@gdf.ru , or fond@gdf.ru
Новостная лента Дайджест Мероприятия Пресс-релизы Статьи Фото
ФЗГ продолжает бороться за свое честное имя. Пройдя все необходимые инстанции отечественного правосудия, Фонд обратился в Европейский суд. Для обращения понадобилось вкратце оценить все, что Фонд сделал за 25 лет своего существования. Вот что у нас получилось:
Полезная деятельность Фонда защиты гласности за 25 лет его жизни
Дайджест Фонда защиты гласности № 902
Дайджест Фонда защиты гласности № 898-899
Погибшие журналисты
Нападения на журналистов База данных
«Россия: медиаконфликты»
Фонд Защиты Гласности.
e-mail: fond@gdf.ru,
Тел.: +7 (495) 637-32-42, Факс: +7 (495) 637-44-20
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<Introducing Apple Music
Review sounds preview Roland JD-XA>
Mackie’s Redesigned ProFX Series Now Shipping
Marc van den Hurkon June 9, 2015 /0 comments
Mackie announces the immediate availability of ProFXv2 Series Professional Effects Mixers. The redesigned ProFXv2 series features an all-new preamp design and powerful new effects engine, delivering unmatched sonic performance for live sound applications. The series has been expanded with two new models, the 4-channel ProFX4v2 and the 30-channel ProFX30v2, opening up the no-compromise ProFX toolkit to a wider range of applications.
The ProFXv2 Series features a wide range of models, each with their own complement of I/O and features to suit nearly any live sound application. There are three compact models – ProFX4v2, ProFX8v2 and ProFX12v2. These utility workhorses deliver professional live sound features in compact designs perfect for smaller applications. The ProFX16v2, ProFX22v2 and ProFX30v2 not only offer the higher-channel count needed for bands, Houses-of-Worship and more, they include additional features for professional applications. They each feature 4-bus architecture for additional mix management and dedicated inline channel compression on select channels that add life and punch to guitars or bass and increase the presence of any voice.
Mackie ProFXv2 series mixers are now shipping worldwide. The comprehensive series includes six models to cover a wide range of applications. The ProFX4v2 has a U.S. MSRP of $169.99. The ProFX8v2 has a U.S. MSRP of $299.99. The ProFX12v2 has a U.S. MSRP of $359.99. The ProFX16v2 has a U.S. MSRP of $629.99. The ProFX22v2 has a U.S. MSRP of $809.99. The ProFX30v2 has a U.S. MSRP of $1149.99.
Tagged: mackie Mixers ProFX Series profx12v2 profx4v2 profx8v2 shipping
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You are here: Home Shane English School Shane English School ordered to conduct health checks
Shane English School ordered to conduct health checks
The health and well-being of teachers at Shane English schools doesn't appear to be a top priority for management. Teachers don't have shakai hoken (health insurance and pension). Teachers weren't even being provided with the medical checks stipulated under the Industrial Health & Safety Law.
Members and the union have taken a stand over their health and their family's well-being by reporting Shane to the Labour Standards Office and the Pension Agency (ongoing).
The Kita-Osaka Labour Standards Office has issued Shane with an administrative order to conduct yearly health checks as stipulated in the Industrial Health and Safety Law. Furthermore, when Shane tried to only reimburse up to ¥2000 for the cost of the check-ups the Labour Standards Office took action once more.
Union members get advice and support when needed. Isn't it time you joined?
ALTs - Dispatch
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Home - Basic_M - Mamba Snakes
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Mamba Snakes: more books (15)
Mambas (Scary Snakes) by Julie Fiedler, 2007-09-30
Black Mambas (Snakes Set II) by Adam G. Klein, 2005-09
Mambas (Snakes) by Adele Richardson, 2003-08
Mambas (Amazing Snakes Discovery Library) by Ted O'Hare, 2005-06-30
Mambas (Snake Discovery Library) by Sherie Bargar, Linda Johnson, 1987-03
Mambas: The Snake Discovery Library (Bargar, Sherie, Snake Discovery Library.) by Sherie Bargar, Linda Johnson, et all 1988-02
Black Mamba (Killer Snakes) by Angelo Gangemi, 2011-01
Mambas (Blastoff! Readers: Snakes Alive) (Blastoff! Readers Level 3: Snakes Alive) by Colleen Sexton, 2010-01-01
Black Mamba / Mamba Negra (Killer Snakes / Serpientes Asesinas) by Angelo Gangemi, 2011-01
Mambas: The Snake Discovery Library by Linda Johnson Sherie Barger, 1986
Akimbo and the Snakes by Alexander McCall Smith, 2007-10-02
Elapidae: King Cobra, Coral Snake, Bungarus, Naja, Tiger Snake, Bungarus Fasciatus, Acanthophis, Black Mamba, Indian Cobra, Micrurus Fulvius
Black Mambas (First Facts) by Van Wallach, 2009-04
Green Mamba: WhoZoo
snakes. Suppose that the biologist then captures an additional. 30 black mamba snakes. What is the probability that he
http://www.whozoo.org/Intro98/kevbrash/greenmamba2.htm
Extractions: Mambas have scales on their bodies. The green in the mamba's body is used to help hide it from its enemies while resting in the trees. The mamba's jaw is adapted for feeding, with the snake's skin being elastic and it being able to dislocate. That is why the mamba can swallow prey up to four times the size of its head. SENSES
Black Mamba Kills
Black Mamba Kills! I need your help to save Africans and the people whoare threatened or bit by the highly venomous Black mamba snakes.
http://bg016.k12.sd.us/Persuasive_Writing/black_mamba.htm
Extractions: Microsoft Word is needed to view this work. Black Mamba Kills! I need your help to save Africans and the people who are threatened or bit by the highly venomous Black Mamba snakes. You can help these people by sending letters such as this one to scientists, and people who are hurt and have lost loved ones by these snakes. Please help us make a cure for the mamba bites. They slither, strike, and eat whatever comes in sight. People in South Africa run and hide from these black-mouthed critters. Two drops of venom can kill a person by interfering with the brain signals. It is the most feared and deadly out of the all the snakes in South Africa, and when there wasnt any anti venom for mamba bites it was 100% fatal. It got its name by the lining of the mouth, and is known to be the most intelligent out of the snake race. The female black mamba is just as deadly as the male. The female can lay up to six to seven eggs at a time, and burrows under houses, moldy logs, and their favorite places are in warm moist places, and where food is near such as termite nests. The eggs hatch in three months and are capable of killing two hundred people when born. The baby mambas then go and eat food like mice, frogs, lizards, small snakes, and even their brothers and sisters unless they get out of the way and find food for themselves. The Black Mamba is so deadly that even a single scrape of a fang can mean going to the hospital and pretty serious injuries. The Green Mamba is related to the Black Mamba and is pretty venomous but not as severe. The Mamba can move up to twelve mph and is believed to chase people when very very aggressive. It has a coffin shaped head and can kill anything. Only when threatened will it hiss, maybe fighting for a female, or if its hungry.
Swift River School: Newsletter
They have green venom. They have fangs. mamba snakes eat eggs. They slither up to30 miles per hour. mamba snakes eat little rodents. They live in the desert.
http://www.swiftriver.k14.mass.edu/current/current.html
The Tucker Tribune
Grasshopper Find out about grasshoppers from Paul! Green Mamba Snake Find outabout mamba snakes from Alexander! Tiger Find out about tigers from Libby!
http://www.myschoolonline.com/folder/0,1872,49384-142921-51-90852,00.html
Extractions: The students in our class have been researching different animals. They will be writing research papers, creating a HyperStudio multimedia project, making and painting a clay figure of the animal, and many more activities. We've even imported some really fun puzzles of the different animals. Please stick around and see what we've done.
Pictura - Volume 7, Issue 5
All the other guys were quickly asleep as I lay wideeyed, wonderingif the tent entrance was tight enough to keep out mamba snakes.
http://www.credenda.org/issues/7-5pictura.php
Extractions: print-ready version share this article with a friend Volume 7, Issue 5 : Pictura Douglas Jones My sister and I rolled our eyes at each other once again as we exited the plane. We had first rolled our eyes when we noticed, during the plane's descent to Jan Smuts Airport, Johannesburg, that we flew over some very lush neighborhoods where every house had either an olympic-sized pool or a tennis court and then flew over neighborhoods that looked like war zonesendless, broken, mud-colored buildings. Now we rolled our eyes and our stomachs twitched as we gaped at the division between the all-black airport workers on the right and the all-white supervisors and flight crews on the left. Mom and Dad were already to the airline terminal doing important parent things. But we had to be the sociologists, though I was barely twelve and my sister some higher teen age. That arrival in South Africa seemed like a long time ago now. I brought my thoughts back to the present and looked around at the six other Boy Scouts sitting in the back of the moving pickup truck. So South African
Synaptic Transmission In The Nervous System
For example, alphadendrotoxin from the venom of deadly mamba snakes is aspecific inhibitor of voltage-dependent, fast activating K + channels.
http://www.bio.ic.ac.uk/research/dolly/dolly.html
Extractions: Dr Yuri Ushkaryov (Wellcome Senior European Research Fellow) A black mamba snake - its venom is a source of dendrotoxin A major goal of our ongoing research is to decipher the molecular mechanisms of exocytosis and its regulation, by indentifying and biochemically characterising proteins responsible for these fundamental processes. Such a challenging task can be best addressed by employing as probes naturally-occurring neurotoxins which exhibit unique abilities to perturb the individual components involved. Nerve cells communicate with each other and target tissues by releasing signal molecules - neurotransmitters - at specialised junctions called synapses (Fig A). Arrival of an electrical impulse at a nerve terminal triggers the entry of Ca a messenger that elicits the secretion of neurotransmitter by exocytosis. The later involves fusion of synaptic membrane vesicles - packets of neurotransmitter - with the presynaptic membrane, at regions termed active zones. Transmitter thus released diffuses across the synaptic gap and activates a specific post-synaptic receptor initiating a response in the neighbouring cell and, thereby, transmitting the signal. Such quantal release of neurotransmitters, which plays a key role in information processing in the brain, can be influenced indirectly by K
BBC - Nature Earth - Explore Africa
On the continent, there are mamba snakes and many varied large vipers. Of the amphibians,salamanders and hylid tree frogs are found only in the north west.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/earth/explore/africa_wildlife.shtml
Extractions: Africa is renowned for its wildlife. There is a greater number of species found here than on any other continent with 90 species of hoofed animals and 2,000 species of freshwater fish. There are more than 60 species of carnivorous mammals, some of the most well known being the lion, cheetah and leopard. There are also wild dogs, hyenas, servals, wildcats, jackals, foxes, weasels, civets and mongoose. A wide range of primates includes 45 species of Old World monkeys, prosimian primates such as lemurs and bushbabies, and two great apes - the chimpanzee and the gorilla. Madagascar, in particular, where there are no true monkeys, has many lemurs. The Cape fur seal, the dugong and the manatee are among the marine mammals that can be seen in Africa's coastal waters, in addition to whales, dolphins and porpoises. Giraffes, hippopotamuses, aardvarks and tenrecs are among Africa's many endemic mammal species. The okapi is unique to Congo. Camels that originated from North America, are superbly adapted to desert life. About 1,775 bird species, some of which are visitors, can be seen in Africa. Ostriches, shoebill storks, hammerkops, touracos and secretary birds are endemic. Bustards, larks, sandgrouse and honey guides are mainly African. Vultures, eagles, hawks, owls, storks, waders and kingfishers are some of the bird predators and scavengers.
Virtual Naval Hospital: Standard First Aid Course - Chapter Nine - Poisoning
Figure 93 - Neurotoxic Snakes and Their Bite Patterns. Coral snakes are relatedto the cobras, kraits, and mamba snakes in other areas of the world (Fig.
http://www.vnh.org/StandardFirstAid/chapter9.html
Extractions: Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed Each year in the United States, there are thousands of deaths from suicide or accidental poisonings. In addition to the fatalities, approximately one million cases of nonfatal poisoning occur because of exposure to substances in everyday use such as medications, industrial chemicals, cleaning agents, and plant and insect sprays. The Navy Occupational Safety and Health (NAVOSH) Program requires a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) be readily available to all personnel working with hazardous material. MSDS's are technical bulletins produced by chemical manufacturers. They contain safety precaution information, first aid procedures, spill response, symptoms of over-exposure, and other vital safety information. The user should review MSDSs before using a hazardous material, and the MSDSs must be accessible in case of a mishap. An alternative source for the same information is the Hazardous Material User's Guide (HMUG). Emergency information is also available from the National Response Center (NRC), 1-800-424-8802 or the Chemical Treatment and Response Emergency Center (CHEMTREC) at 1-800-424-9300. Since most poisons act rapidly, professional medical attention or assistance from a poison control center should be obtained immediately. If more than one person is present, one should obtain assistance while the other begins administering first aid. Although the symptoms of poisoning may disappear completely before professional help is obtained, the poison may have harmful or fatal after effects.
Index4.html
alphaDendrotoxin from the venom of deadly mamba snakes is a specificinhibitor of voltage-dependent, fast activating K+ channels.
http://chemweb.calpoly.edu/chem/bailey/377/StudentPagesF01/Jose/index4.html
Extractions: Snake Venom Composition Venom is not composed of a single substance common to all poisonous snakes, although almost all venoms consist of approximately 90% protein. The composition varies among species, however the closer the phylogenetic relationship of the snakes, the more similar the venom properties and composition will be. With more than one toxin present in snake venom, the toxins act together to optimize the actual poisoning. The overall toxicity is due to enzyme, as well as to non enzymatic proteins. "In the family Elapidae, the lethal action is attributed to neurotoxins that are not enzymes." Two toxins have been identified in the venom of the green mamba: alpha-Dendrotoxin and Fasciculin 2.
the nervous system e.g. mamba cobra). Venom of backfanged snakes affects blood circulation by preventing blood
http://www.geocities.com/ngwenyaeco/snakes.htm
Extractions: SNAKES ! Interesting snake facts: There is approx. 2,000 species of snakes in the world Of these on 300 species are dangerous to man, very few will attack unless disturbed Southern Africa has 130 species. Only 14 (recorded species) The amount of venom injected is pre-determined depending on the size of the prey or how big the threat is to the snake. Poisonous snakes are divided into 2 categories : front and back-fanged snakes: Venom of back-fanged snakes affects blood circulation by preventing blood from clotting. (e.g. Boomslang) FRONT-FANGED SNAKES ADDERS: MAMBAS: Usually olive-brown with "coffin-shaped head - long snout and small eyes. Death can occur within 20 min to 8 hrs COBRAS: Usually has a hood. Delayed symptoms developing 24-48hrs after bite. Mozambique spitting cobra bite may also exhibit cytotoxic symptoms. BACK FANGED SNAKES e.g. BOOMSLANG:
Record Snakes
RecordBreaking snakes. Top Ten Longest snakes 2)Black mamba. almost 100% moratlity without prompt antivenin treatment
http://www2.excite.sfu.ca/pgm/students/alex_reid/snakes/RECORDS.HTM
Extractions: #1) Reticulated Python #2) Green Anaconda #3) Indian Python #4) Diamond Python #5) King Cobra #6) Boa Constrictor #7) Bushmaster #8)Giant Brown Snake #9) Diamondback Rattlesnake #10) Indigo Snake #1)Taipan almost 100% moratlity without prompt antivenin treatment #2)Black Mamba almost 100% moratlity without prompt antivenin treatment #3)Tiger Snake Very high mortality without prompt antivenin treatment #4)Common Krait Up to 50% mortality with antivenin #5)Death Adder 50%+ mortality even with antivenin #6)Cape Cobra High Mortality #7)King Cobra High Mortality,largest venomous snake, most venom per bite #8)Bushmaster Not Available #9)Green Mamba Not Available #10)Coral Snake Not Available *If you don't bug snakes, snakes won't bug you.Venomous snakes are vital to the ecosystem. Please respect them. -Thread Snake( Leptotyplops bilineata ) 41/2", could have crawled through a pencil with the lead removed -Green Anaconda, about 500lb -Male Boa Constrictor, age 40 years, 3 months, 14 days
TecKnoQuest: Mrs. MacDonald's Animal Links Page
Wildlife Photo Images Giraffes. Black mamba (snakes). mambas NWF International Wildlife Magazine - Black mamba mamba
http://www.tecknoquest.com/macdonald
Green Mamba, Pictures And Information, Photographs, Snakes, Serpentes
This short fanged group of snakes includes the Coral Snake of North America and theCobras. The bite and venom of the Western Green mamba can be rapidly fatal
http://www.photovault.com/Link/Animals/Reptiles/Snakes/Species/GreenMamba.html
Extractions: This page contains samples from our picture files on Green. These images are available for licensing in any media. For Pricing, General Guidelines, and Delivery information click here . You may contact us thru email or by phone for more information on the use of these pictures, and any others in our files not shown here.
Swazi Snakes Spring Surprise In CAF Cup
teams drew 11 in Lusaka two weeks ago so mamba (snakes) qualify on the away-goal rule for a second-round showdown with
http://www.arabia.com/egypt/sports/article/english/0%2C5127%2C12160%2C00.html
Extractions: arabia Algeria Bahrain Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Morocco Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Sudan Syria Tunisia UAE Yemen Channels News Business TV Guide Sports Entertainment Mersal Careers Cartoonopia Bahgory Directory Weather Shop Technology Horoscope Poll Center Arab World Games Joke Stocks Cards Wanees Search Mail Chat Discussions ... Sports Swazi Snakes spring surprise in CAF Cup Green Mamba of Swaziland reached the second round of the African Football Confederation Cup despite being held 0-0 at home by Zanaco of Zambia April 16, 2001, 06:44 AM (AFP) - Outsiders Green Mamba of Swaziland reached the second round of the African Football Confederation Cup despite being held 0-0 at home by Zanaco of Zambia Sunday. The teams drew 1-1 in Lusaka two weeks ago so Mamba (Snakes) qualify on the away-goal rule for a second-round showdown with Ferroviario from neighbouring Mozambique. Mamba, a team composed largely of prison service employees, finished stronger in each half of a tight cup game at a packed Trade Fair Ground in Manzini. Mbongani Nkambule came closest for Mamba with a late first-half shot that rebounded off the crossbar and Newa Mwewa fired wide for Zanaco with only goalkeeper Nkosinathi Dlamini to beat.
Green Anaconda, Pictures Of Snakes And Information, Photographs, Snakes, Serpent
Albino snakes. Anaconda. Aruba Island Rattlesnake. Ball Python. Banded RockRattlesnake. Gopher Snake. Green mamba. Ground Boa. Horned Rattlesnake. KingCobra.
http://www.photovault.com/Link/Animals/Reptiles/Snakes/Species/GreenAnaconda.htm
Webshots Gallery - Animals - Snakes - Eastern Green Mamba
Animals snakes. Previous Image, Select size, then click photo to download, NextImage. Regular (800x600), High Quality (1600x1200). Eastern Green mamba © Tom
http://www.webshots.com/g/25/538-sh/18153.html
Www.creature-creations.com - Black Mamba Snake
In common with other snakes, the black mamba periodically moults the outer layer of its skin as it grows.
http://www.creature-creations.com/blackmambasnake.html
Extractions: Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Elapidae The black mamba is renowned and feared throughout its African homeland for its speed, agility and deadly venom. In spite of its name, this snake is dark greyish-brown in colour. The black mamba is a long, dangerous snake from central and southern Africa. It will take readily to the trees, and can move faster than any other snake through thick undergrowth or over open ground. Agile and nervous, it can strike accurately at prey even when moving fast. Habits The black mamba spends its day basking in the sun or hunting. When hunting, it travels quickly across rough ground or along low tree branches. Strong and vigorous, it can hold its head 50cm above the ground even when moving. At night, the black mamba returns to a hole in the ground - usually a disused aardvark burrow or cavity in an old termite mound or to a deep hiding-place among rocks or fallen timber. When alarmed, it makes for this hole, attacking whatever Mocks its path. The black mamba relies on warmth to activate its body, and must lie on a flat rock or low branch during much of the day, soaking up the suns heat. In the hottest months of the year, midday temperatures may rise so high that the snake has to shelter in its hole until temperatures fall.
Webshots Gallery - Animals - Snakes (Top Downloads) - Eastern Green Mamba
snakes (Top Downloads). Previous Image, Select size, then click photo to download,Next Image. Regular (800x600), High Quality (1600x1200). Eastern Green mamba ©
http://www.webshots.com/g/25/538-td/18153.html
Rattle Snakes And The Black Mamba - Reptiles - Http://maxpages.com/snakeworld/Ve
Rattle snakes and the Black mamba. Calling All Girls! The Black mamba is oneof the world's deadliest snakes with its fatal venom and its great speed.
http://www.maxpages.com/snakeworld/Venomous_Snakes
Extractions: The Rattler snake can be found in anyplace in the world except for Antartica. There are Diomand backs, Michigan, and many other different Rattle Snake species. Most live in Arizona and other hot desert areas. They live under flat rocks and in grassy dry areas. They are one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. with a rattle on the tip of their tail to warn away predators, the rattle snake is an easy snake to stay away from.
Welcome To Mamba
mamba (n) any of several long, arboreal snakes of the genus Dendroaspis, of central and southern Africa, the bite of which often causes death
http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/
Extractions: mamba n ) any of several long, arboreal snakes of the genus Dendroaspis , of central and southern Africa, the bite of which often causes death Welcome to Mamba, an SGI Indigo2 (XZ graphics, 200 MHz R4400 CPU, 320 Mb RAM, copious storage), running Irix 5.3. It is located in Room 5205 at BioSci II. Access to this room (and, during after-hours, the building, too) requires a key card which may be obtained by contacting Lori Lambert (x6700). Users in the College of Medicine may also contact Harry Mangalam (x 4824) to arrange for a card key. This machine has been provided with funds from the College of Medicine Biological Sciences and the Office of Academic Computing (OAC) to provide advanced capabilities in computational biology including molecular modeling, biological sequence analysis, visualization and other areas. General information on working with Mamba (useful for first time users) Applications available on Mamba Links to sites of interest to Biologists News (by date) Latest news 5/15/96 If all else fails, please contact.....
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Top 10 richest in US
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"J GRISHAM Place of Birth"
Profession:Novelist, Lawyer, Writer, Author
Date of Birth: Feb 8, 1955
Nicknames:Grisham, J GRISHAM, John Ray Grisham, Jr., Grisham, John
Ethnicity: White American
Country:United States of America
J GRISHAM Place Of Birth
· In Celebrities, Featured
John Grisham Net Worth is $200 Million. John Grisham, a prolific author whose legal thrillers have sold over 250 million copies world wide. Grisham's net worth is $200 million. Grisham attended Mississippi State University and earned his Juris Doctor. John Ray Grisham, Jr. (born ...
John Grisham Net Worth is $200 Million.
John Grisham Net Worth is $200 Million. John Grisham, a prolific author whose legal thrillers have sold over 250 million copies world wide. Grisham's net worth is $200 million. Grisham attended Mississippi State University and earned his Juris Doctor John Ray Grisham, Jr. is an American lawyer and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers.
John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 and practiced criminal law for about a decade. He also served in the House of Representatives in Mississippi from January 1984 to September 1990. Beginning writing in 1984, he had his first novel A Time To Kill published in June 1989.
As of 2008, his books had sold over 250 million copies worldwide. A Galaxy British Book Awards winner, Grisham is one of only three authors to sell two million copies on a first printing, the others being Tom Clancy and J. K. Rowling.
Grisham's first best seller was The Firm. Released in 1991, it sold more than seven million copies. The book was later adapted into a feature film in 1993, and a TV series in 2012 which "continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere and his family 10 years after the e...
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John Grisham Latest News
Book review: Grisham's teen lawyer steps up to help pals
John Grisham’s precocious kid lawyer, Theodore Boone, is back roaming the courthouse halls in the 7th book in the popular series, but the circumstances this time may a bit overwhelming for the 13-year ...
Posted: June 22, 2019, 11:21 pm
Author John Grisham To Appear At Texas Book Festival
Best-selling author John Grisham will discuss his new book 'The Guardians' in Austin on Oct. 26. (Texas Book Festival) AUSTIN, TX — Texas Book Festival organizers announced on Wednesday that ...
DON NOBLE: Novel breaks mold of typical Grisham thriller
Ordinarily, I would not review a novel by John Grisham. He is a known quantity, a master of his craft, and every book is a best-seller. But this novel intrigued me with its connection to the literary ...
Posted: May 25, 2019, 1:05 pm
Grisham discusses writing, career choices with local teens
Nearly 40 local middle school boys have spent the last week immersed in the adventures of the John Grisham character Theodore Boone, and on Monday, they had the chance to speak to Boone’s creator. ...
Posted: June 24, 2019, 5:00 pm
Author John Grisham Speaks to Albemarle Co. Students in M-Cubed Program
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - Students who are part of the Albemarle County Public Schools' M-Cubed academy got a special visit on Monday, June 24, from a famous author. John Grisham spoke to a group ...
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EU Policy EU content filtering working group to launch
EU content filtering working group to launch
The French Presidency of the European Union is promoting an EU working group to develop and implement content identification and filtering techniques - those behind it are understood to include IFPI, Vivendi, SACEM and CISAC.
The news has emerged in a speech given by French culture minister Christine Albanel , to a conference hosted last month in Paris by the French government, which currently holds the Presidency of the European Union. She was speaking at the end of the proceedings, and giving the conclusions of the seminar sessions. One of those conclusions was to set up a joint working group of the European Commission, rights-holders from the media industries, and ISPs, to test and implement content filtering technologies.
Mme Albanel makes a point of thanking the moderators of the sessions, whom, she says, 'worked late into the night to put together the conclusions'. Among those moderators were John Kennedy, President of IFPI, Bernard Miyet, president of Gesac (and SACEM), Eric Baptiste, director General of CISAC, and Phillippe Kern, of KEA, a consultancy with links to the French film industry. Thus, we have to assume, in the absence of any other information, that the filtering working group was devised by them. The conference was also sponsored by Vivendi, and had a bias toward content industry speakers, several of them from IFPI.
Mme Albanel says that she wants to turn the weapons of the content pirates against them. She is particularly thinking of content recognition and fingerprinting technologies, as well as
metadata referencing tools. She goes on to say: "Vous avez proposé de poursuivre dans cette voie en lançant un groupe de travail européen qui réunirait les acteurs publics (États membres et Commission) et privés (opérateurs de télécommunications, plates-formes de diffusion, ayants droit, industriels du logiciel), pour expérimenter et préparer la mise en place d’outils d’identification des oeuvres". (Rough translation: You have proposed in this respect to launch a European working group which will bring together public (Commission and member states) and private actors (operators of telecoms networks, distribution platforms, rights holders, software vendors) to test and prepare to put in place the tools for identification of works.)
She goes on to say that ISPs or content website owners could jointly finance this development: "Ce groupe pourrait aborder notamment la question du financement de ces technologies, lors des phases de recherche et de développement, puis lors des phases d’exploitation. C’est à dire, clairement, celle de la répartition de ce financement entre ayants droit et diffuseurs. " (Rough translation: this group could look at financing of these technologies, in the research and implemetation phases. That is to say, the split between rights holders and distributors.)
Content recognition technologies are a key element in the filtering schemes which the music industry in particular, has been pushig for ISPs to implement. The ISPs say they don't work. And the vendors will admit that they can't determine for copyright fair use and other exceptions to copyright law.
IFPi's John Kennedy led a seminar entitled 'Towards a greater circulation of contents' of which the main thrust was 'fighting piracy'. A majority of the speakers came from the media industries, including 2 from IFPI member organisations. The speakers included Geoff Taylor of the BPI (an IFPI member), Nicholas Seydoux of the French anti-piracy group ALPA, Herve Rony of the French IFPI-member SNEP, Olivier Bomsel, a French lawyer who has spoken in defence of riposte graduee, Michael Angus of News Corporation subsidiary Fox Interactive (part of the Murdoch empire), Thierry Desurmont of the French collecting society SACEM, and Borje Hanson of the film producers group FIAPF (and associate of the Motion Picture Association and the UK-based anti-piracy group PACT). Ebay, Daily Motion and Telefonica represented the Internet indsutry, with BEUC representing the consumer.
There was a notable absence of IT, web or telecoms industry spokespeople among the speakers, and no-one from any citizens groups or representation of the public interest.
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SHOWING 351-400 of 1006
BANDARI
Mikhail Pelevin
the dialect spoken by the native population of Bandar ʿAbbās, administrative center of the Hormozgān province, and of its environs. Bandari belongs to the southwestern group of the Iranian languages. It is tightly encircled by a number of other, less known dialects located between Lārestān and Bašākerd.
This Article Has Images/Tables.
G. Gnoli, ʿA.-A. Saʿīdī Sīrjānī
a kind of narcotic plant. In older Arabic and Persian sources banj is applied to three different plants: hemp (Cannabis sativa or indica), henbane (Hyoseyamus niger, etc.), and jimsonweed (Datura stramonium). i. In ancient Iran. ii. In modern Iran.
BANG KAUP, JOHANN WILHELM MAX JULIUS
P. Zieme
(known as Willy), German orientalist (1869-1934). From 1893 onward Bang Kaup also devoted time to research in the promising area of the Old Turkish stone inscriptions.
BANGĀLA
See BENGAL.
BANGAṦ
D. Balland
one of the least-known Pashtun tribes in the Solaymān range, Pakistan, and one of the few that are not named after eponymous ancestors.
BANĪ ARDALĀN
P. Oberling
a Kurdish tribe of northwestern Iran, now dispersed in Sanandaj (Senna) and surrounding villages.
BANĪ ḤARDĀN
J. Perry
a Shiʿite Arab tribe of Howayza (Ḥawīza) district in Ḵūzestān.
BANĪ LĀM
a numerous and historically important Shiʿite Arab tribe of northwestern Ḵūzestān, southern Lorestān, and adjacent parts of Iraq.
BANĪ SĀLA
BANĪ TAMĪM
an Arab tribe of western Ḵūzestān, both settled and nomadic, raising sheep and camels. Their range lies between Howayza and Ahvāz.
BANĪ ṬOROF
(Banu Turuf), a large Shiʿite Arab tribe of Howayza (Ḥawīza) district in Ḵūzestān, mostly sedentary, centered north of Howayza between Sūsangerd and Bostān (Besaytīn).
BANISTER, Thomas
Parvin Loloi
(d. Arrash, 20 July 1571), British merchant and traveler to Persia who commanded the fifth voyage from Britain to Persia via Russia for the purpose of establishing trade.
BĀNK-E MARKAZĪ-E ĪRĀN
M. Yeganeh
(Central Bank of Iran), a bank established under the Iranian Banking and Monetary Act of 28 May 1960 to undertake the central banking activities in the country. The functions and powers of Bānk-e Markazī were revised following the Islamic Revolution of February, 1979, which led to the nationalization of private banking.
P. Basseer, P. Clawson and W. Floor
The first modern bank in Iran was the British-owned New Oriental Bank, which in 1888 opened in Tehran, Mašhad, Tabrīz, Rašt, Isfahan, Shiraz, and Būšehr. The New Oriental Bank was shortly replaced by another British-owned bank, the Imperial Bank of Persia.
BANNĀʾĪ
C. Bromberger
While the term bannāʾī covers the entire construction field, in this brief study domestic building techniques, in particular, which are more or less part of the traditional crafts, and the recent evolution of popular housing will be emphasized.
A. S. Melikian-Chirvani
(ʿalam, derafš). Countless references in epic literature as well as in chronicles show that, in the clouds of dust that enveloped troops as they fought in sandy land, the glitter of the banner was the only way that warriors had of following the moves of their commanders or of identifying the enemy.
BĀNŪ
W. Eilers
originally “lady,” now also in common use as an alternative to ḵānom “Madam, Mrs.” (from Turkish xan-ım “my lord”).
BANŪ ʿABBĀS
See ABBASID CALIPHATE.
BANŪ AMĀJŪR
D. Pingree
(or MĀJŪR), ABU’L-QĀSEM ʿABD-ALLĀH and his son Abu’l-Ḥasan ʿAlī, 10th-century astronomers.
BANŪ ʿANNĀZ
See ʿANNAZIDS.
BANŪ LAḴM
See ḤIRA.
BANŪ MĀJŪR
See BANŪ AMĀJŪR.
BANŪ MONAJJEM
a family of intellectuals, closely connected to the caliphs of the 9th-10th centuries and claiming descent from an ancient Iranian lineage.
BANŪ MŪSĀ
name applied to three brothers, 9th-century ʿAbbasid astronomers and engineers.
BANŪ OMAYYA
See OMMAYADS.
BĀNŪ PĀRS
M. Boyce
“Lady of Pārs,” the name of a Zoroastrian shrine in the mountains at the northern end of the Yazd plain.
BANŪ SĀJ
W. Madelung
a family named after its ancestor Abu’l-Sāj which served the ʿAbbasid caliphate (9th-10th centuries).
BANŪ SĀSĀN
C. E. Bosworth
a name frequently applied in medieval Islam to beggars, rogues, charlatans, and tricksters of all kinds, allegedly so called because they stemmed from a legendary Shaikh Sāsān.
BAQĀʾ WA FANĀʾ
G. Böwering
Sufi term signifying “subsistence and passing away,” that is, passing away from worldly reality and being made subsistent in divine reality.
BĀQELĀ
H. Aʿlam
broad beans, the grains of Vicia faba L. In Iran, this crop is grown rather extensively in the Caspian provinces and, to a lesser extent, in the south and southwest.
BĀQER KHAN SĀLĀR-E MELLI
A. Amanat
one of the popular heroes of the Constitutional Revolution during the defense of Tabrīz in the period of the Lesser Autocracy (June, 1908-July, 1909).
BĀQER, ABŪ JAʿFAR MOḤAMMAD
The fifth imam of the Twelver Shiʿites (7th-8th century).
BĀQĪBELLĀH NAQŠBANDĪ
J. G. J. Ter Haar
(d. 1603), ḴᵛĀJA ABU’L-MOʾAYYAD RAŻĪ-AL-DĪN OWAYSĪ; As a Naqšbandi, he represents the sober type of Sufi, adhering to the Islamic law (šarīʿa) and averse to ecstatic mystical experiences.
BĀQLAVĀ
W. Eilers, N. Ramazani
i. The word. ii. The sweet. Bāqlavā is a sweet pastry known throughout the Middle East, in Iran commonly made with almonds (bādām), less frequently with pistachios (pesta).
BAQLĪ, RŪZBEHĀN
SHAIKH. See RŪZBEHĀN.
BAQQĀL-BĀZĪ
F. Gaffary
(lit. grocer play), a form of improvised, popular slapstick comedy; it is distinguished among the various forms of popular comedy in Iran by its own set of rules.
BĀR
Dj. Khaleghi-Motlagh, Ḥ. Farhūdī
“audience.” The royal audience was one of the most important and enduring of the court ceremonies practiced in Iran. i. From the Achaemenid through the Safavid period. ii. The Qajar and Pahlavi periods.
BAR HEBRAEUS
(b. Malaṭīa, 1225; d. Marāḡa, 1286), Syriac historian and polymath. See EBN AL-ʿEBRĪ, ABU’L-FARAJ.
BAR KŌNAY, THEODORE
J. P. Asmussen
8th-9th-century Nestorian teacher and writer from Kaškar in Mesopotamia. His The Book of Scholiais notable for its sections on Zarathustra and Mani.
BAR-E MEHR
a fire temple in Yazd. See DAR-E MEHR.
BARĀDŪST
A. Hassanpour
name of a Kurdish tribe, region, mountain range, river, and amirate. The tribespeople, mostly settled now, are Shafeʿite Sunnis and speak the Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish mixed with the neighboring Sorani dialects.
BARAḠĀNĪ, MOḤAMMAD-TAQĪ
D. M. MacEoin
QAZVĪNĪ, ŠAHĪD-E ṮĀLEṮ, MOLLĀ, an important Shiʿite ʿālem of Qazvīn (d. 1847).
T. Bīneš
a kind of firm and durable woven cloth used for coats, overcoats (labbāda), shawls (in Afghanistan), čūḵas (surcoats for shepherds) and leggings.
BARAKĪ BARAK
C. M. Kieffer
locality in the province of Lōgar, Afghanistan, the abode of the country’s last Ōrmuṛī speakers.
BĀRAKZAY DYNASTY
See AFGHANISTAN x. Political History ; and DORRĀNĪ.
BĀRAKZĪ
(singular Bārakzay), an ethnic name common among the Pashtun of Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Baluch of southeastern Iran. The oldest settlement area is between Herat and the approaches to the Helmand valley.
BARĀMEKA
See BARMAKIDS.
BĀRĀN
It is interesting to note that in modern Iranian languages violent and dangerous rainfall events are often designated by borrowings from Arabic (ṭūfān for typhoon, barq for lightning, raʿd for thunder, sayl for sudden deluge), whereas for phenomena considered beneficial a terminology of Iranian origin has been preserved.
BARANĪ, ŻĪĀʾ-AL-DĪN
P. Hardy
Indian-born Muslim historian who wrote in the period of the Delhi sultanate (ca. 1285-1357).
BARĀQ BĀBĀ
H. Algar
(b. 1257-58, d. 1307-08), a crypto-shamanic Anatolian Turkman dervish close to two of the Mongol rulers of Iran.
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Indian Documentaries To Be The Highlight At HotDocs Canada
By Yash Thakur. Posted on March 18, 2015
Yesterday, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival announced its full line-up for the upcoming 22nd edition at a press conference in Toronto. From over 2500 film submissions, this year’s slate will present 210 titles from 45 countries in 12 screening programs.
Hot Docs, which in 2014 featured a 'Made in' Denmark program – is shifting its focus this year to South Asian docs with 'Made in India' Program, featuring Spandan Banerjee’s English India; Parvez Sharma’s A Sinner In Mecca, Anuj Adlakha & Farha Alam’s The Superstars Of Koti, Samarth Dixit & Jessica Sadana's 'Journey With Prabhat' and Saumyananda Sahi's 'Small Things, Big Things'.
Furthermore, continuing it's festival run, Abhay Kumar's spine chilling documentary Placebo too will feature at the renowned festival. The festival will also showcase three short documentaries along with these. These include Hana Kitasei & Shriya Pilgaonkar's 'Panchgavya', Pritha Chakraborty's 'Silent Voices' and Udita Bhargava's 'Imraan, C/O Carrom Club'
“This year’s festival takes us around the world, showcasing stories from 45 different countries and the best in Canadian filmmaking,” says Hot Docs director of programming Charlotte Cook. “Through even more live and interactive experiences we have more ways than ever for the audience to be a part of the Festival. Bringing this exceptional work to Toronto is a huge honour and we can’t wait to join the filmmakers in sharing their work with our incredible audience” Cook added.
English India, which comes from Spandan Bannerjee (who is closely associated with rock band Indian Ocean), tells the tale of a country coming to terms with its own identity as it shakes off the weight of its colonial past with the main focus on language. Spandan’s last outing To Let won the best long documentary award at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala.
A Sinner In Mecca, directed by Parvez Sharma, is a powerful personal essay on a gay Muslim’s inner-most struggles. The New York-based Indian writer and documentary filmmaker is best known for the 2007 film A Jihad for Love which documented the lives of gay and lesbian Muslims, and for which he received the 2009 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary.
Superstars Of Koti ( A debut feature by 20 somethings Farha Alam and Anuj Adlakha) is an intriguing story surrounding deitydom and three children in the mountainous village of Koti. The three adolescents are a witness to identity crisis, crashing and reinstating age-old hierarchies.
According to Kathleen Mullen of Hot Docs, Small Things, Big Things is;
"A diaristic love letter to the benefits of a school that listens to what childhood can be. Director Saumyananda Sahi, who himself went to Sita School until he was 11 years old, gently observes the activities of the students and teachers for one year. As they express their experiences and memories, whether through puppet theatre or a time capsule buried for the future, the children’s personalities shine through as they interact daily with their peers and teachers."
Similarly Amira Abdellahi, while profiling Journey With Prabhat states;
"Mixing archival photos, film clips and personal testimonies from industry veterans, Journey with Prabhat is a tender ode to the art of cinema, proving India’s roots run deeper than Bollywood."
Slient Voices is the story of three sisters with major musical aspirations give up their dreams, bowing instead to the traditional demands of starting a family. Directed by Pritha Chakraborty it is 26 minutes long.
Panchgavya is an eye-opening look at the dichotomy that exists between human behaviour and belief. It lays bare the hypocrisy that exists in the Hindu society with regards to the worship of cows on the one hand and their treatment on the other.
Imraan, C/o Carrom Club screened at multiple festivals last year. Directed by Udita Bhargava it is the story of Imraan who works at a carrom club in the slums of Mumbai. Other notable screenings also include Indian-Canadian filmmaker Rama Rau’s high profile documentary No Place To Hide: The Rehtaeh Parsons Story- an alarming account of the effects of cyber-bullying and Florian Heinzen-Ziob and Georg Heinzen’s Original Copy- a delightful ode to Mumbai’s last one-of-a-kind film poster painter.
Hot Docs will run from April 23-May 3, 2015. To see the full line up, click here.
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JeffDirects.com
Welcome to Jeff Directs
Jeffrey Wienckowski is a Los Angeles based Producer and Director who teaches at Antelope Valley College and College of the Canyons. He holds an MFA from UCSD's Graduate Directing Program and is the founder and Artistic Director of the S.O.B. Theatre Co.
Solemn Mockeries at the United Solo Festival in NEW YORK!
Out of 121 productions at the 2013 United Solo theatre festival Solemn Mockeries won the award for Best Perod Piece!
Performed by David Melville: The true story of William-Henry Ireland, despised by his teachers, detested by his stepmother, and ignored by his father—until he forges “Shakespearean” documents that fool the literati of London. And when his forged play VORTIGERN plays at the greatest theatre with the finest actors of the day, what could possibly go wrong? “Brutally funny, brutally sad”—L.A. Weekly.
Audiences, Please Keep Your Phones TURNED ON
“What’s next?” Where do you go when you don’t know what you want from your career? From your relationships? From life? #Hashtag is a new comedy directed by Jeffrey Wienckowski and devised by The Mechanical Heart, a group of UCSD Alumni. It explores the other kind of LA gridlock: the daily struggle to remain engaged in the present moment in a culture built on social media and status anxiety.
As the audience entered the Elephant Space, they were encouraged to keep their phones ON, take photos and video (which they can upload to Instagram and Youtube) and live-tweet the characters onstage. With #Hashtag, The Mechanical Heart is making social media an essential part of the theatrical experience.
“#Hashtag is a must see at the Hollywood Fringe… Definitely worth the hour spent in the theatre. And don’t forget to hashtag it!”- Gia on the Move
Biomechanics under the Tuscan sun!
I create a Series of Tableau based on Neo-Classical paintings with Silvia Donad, Pablo Lechuga, Lauren Karl and Heidi Seppälä as Ostrenko looks on.
Oana Leahu and Valentina Pakou in a scene I directed from "Romeo and Juliet".
So I promised to share more about the amazing opportunity I had to study directing in Italy. I was one of four directors who were invited (along with five actors and two dancers) to spend 10 hour days in intense physical and psychological training of Sergei Ostrenko's method; training for directors and actors based on Vsevolod Meyerhold's famous Biomechanics technique.
The 45 minute warm-up.
The tremendously talented group that I really hope I have the opportunity to work with again!
The workshop was phenomenal, but the best part was the truly talented group of people Mr. Ostrenko assembled together. Directors Marcus Roche (UK), Oana Leahu (Romania) and Selvananthan (Selva) Ganesan (Singapore); Actors Audrey Jenkinson (UK), Valentina Pakou (Greece-UK), Lauren Karl (USA-UK), Pablo Lechuga (Spain), Serena Brabazon (Ireland) and dancers Heidi Seppälä (Finland-UK) and Silvia Donadu (Italy).
The class looks on as Audrey Jenkinson and Serena Brabazon performs a scene from "Romeo and Juliet".
Welcome to the Jeff Directs Blog!
Let's get one thing straight. I want this blog to be more than just a news feed. Of course, the main feature of this blog will be to give news updates on career and information about upcoming projects, but I also want to use this blog as a place to write about what goes on behind the rehearsal room doors. Kind of an inside-baseball look at all aspect of the theatrical process.
Jeff with script and Diet Coke.
I would also like to use this as a space to practice my theatrical criticism. Here you will find reviews of Plays, Books, Films and more.
So please, stay tuned to The Jeff Directs Blog!
*Alright, I know you don't "tune" a computer, but you get the idea
The Jeff Directs Blog
A place for News, Reviews and an inside look at the theatrical process.
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KK-Bits
Now, after about 10 years and several attempts we actually have a new website.
Due to the fact that such an undertaking demands a lot of work and we are fortunately always supplied with enough orders, we were not previously possible to update or renew our own website.
Several times we had begun, but any attempt took such a long way till at some point we were no longer convinced of the current trial and rejected everything.
The current website is now almost completely by the project descriptions, technically modern and visually very appealing. We have the site for any mobile devices implemented and also available for older browsers.
KK-Bits.com from 2002 to 2014
As early as 2002, long before the javascript class HTTP (Ajax), we have implemented such an Ajax functionality in the website. The page Self-caused per Contentpage a small and compact reload on a hidden I-frame and got over this request only the raw content, which was shown via javascript in the HTML structure. Thus much of the network request from very low. (Due to time weak Internet connections was an important issue) where the page is noticed that the content pages had already been loaded and maintained this in memory. If the request was a content page a further clicked talk saved the I-Frame.
Debug output of the page is optimized for search engines
Around here not to have to take a disadvantage on the search engines for purchase, in addition to the construction of the Javascript engine for each content page, an additional link is offered, which represents the content in 'normal' form, readable by a search engine. In turn linked the search engine on this page, this is detected and the Internet Guest is on the appropriately formatted page.
This in turn has the advantage that the content for the search engine will indeed complete but is provided without any formatting and images, and thus was very readily available. The Internet Guest again had the optimized javascript logic to keep the HTTP requests short and simple.
Although not immediately necessary, the backend has been implemented in the form of direct without a reload.
All visible elements are created via javascript and reload in an I-frame.
Backend KKBits 2002
KKBits studies
date 28. January 2014
category KK-Bits
Copyright 2019 KK-Bits
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Awesome: 78.95%
Just Average: 10.53%
Pretty Crappy: 0%
Sucks: 0%
See another review of this film:Jay Seaver (Awesome)
"A director to watch."
Roger Ebert, who I’m pretty sure would have loved "Moonlight," had a recurring dictum: “A film is not about what it is about, but how it is about it.”
Uncle Roger would probably have said the same about the acclaimed, Oscar-nominated Moonlight, whose subject is an African-American man with three different names according to his level of growth. As a boy, he’s nicknamed Little; as a teenager he assumes his given name, Chiron; as an adult he takes the nickname Black, given to him by a school friend with whom he was once intimate. The movie, a second feature by writer-director Barry Jenkins, is structured as a triptych, with each portion named after whatever Chiron is called.
Plotwise, some of Moonlight feels familiar. The child Little, afraid of his crackhead mama (Naomie Harris), begins to spend more and more time staying with a couple who look after him: Juan (Mahershala Ali) and Teresa (Janelle Monáe). The twist is that Juan is a crack dealer who supplies Little’s mama. Eventually, as a man, Black goes into the same business, emulating the only male role model he ever knew. What’s different about Moonlight is the contemplative, painterly treatment that Jenkins gives the material. One could never fairly call the movie melodramatic; at times its energy is surprisingly low.
I was held, though, by the naturalistic performances and by Jenkins’ insistence on telling this story without flooding it with false emotion or incident. I imagine Juan could uncharitably be called “a crack dealer with a heart of gold,” but Mahershala Ali makes him a complex man capable of threat as well as kindness. When the sullen, almost wordless Little, tormented by bullies, asks Juan “What’s a faggot?”, he answers “It’s a word to make gay people feel bad about themselves.” The irony, in a movie loaded with ironies, is that Little’s schoolyard bullies may or may not be the ones calling him that, but his own mother does.
How Moonlight is about what it’s about is with as little dialogue as possible, and with well-judged use of color throughout (cinematographer James Laxton can take a bow). Things happen, major things, in between the three segments. We fill in the blanks of a portrait of sadness that’s not without hope. Nothing is made terribly explicit, nor is the movie particularly plot-centered. We follow Little as he becomes Chiron and then as he becomes Black; the changes in his character are presented as inevitable, unquestionable. Moonlight was shot fast, often on location in the same Miami projects where Jenkins grew up, yet it takes its time. It’s not so much a riff as a becalmed tone poem.
Jenkins’ handling of Chiron’s sexuality is as quietly oblique as everything else in the film. Chiron has a moment with childhood friend Kevin, but then is never intimate with anyone else until he meets Kevin again as an adult. Is he gay? Bisexual? Just looking for any meaningful male attention? The movie lets us grapple with the ambiguities. Jenkins trusts silence and inertia; he doesn’t move the camera needlessly — he also trusts composition and color. The achievement here is only possible in cinema, a story whose novelistic details are suggested by image and editing and what the filmmaker chooses to include and exclude. It is governed by a sure command of the medium that never insists on itself or bullies the audience.
It’s a shame Ebert didn’t live to see it; he did, however, see Jenkins’ 2008 feature debut "Medicine for Melancholy," which he awarded three and a half stars, and praised Jenkins’ “confidence to know the precise note he wants to strike.” I’d say Uncle Roger called it.
link directly to this review at http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com/review.php?movie=30657&reviewer=416
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2016 New York Film Festival For more in the 2016 New York Film Festival series, click here.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2016 Chicago International Film Festival For more in the 2016 Chicago International Film Festival series, click here.
OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2016 Telluride Film Festival For more in the 2016 Telluride Film Festival series, click here.
9/02/17 Ken Very good film. Not better than La La Land, though.
7/18/17 stephen did not deserve best picture over la la land
6/17/17 Helena Beautiful story!
4/23/17 David H. A lyrical and moving story of a young man's coming of age.
2/01/17 Bob Dog The 1st & 2nd segments were brilliant, but the 3rd was a letdown.
11/22/16 danR Keeps saying already rated from this IP address. Not so. How 'bout this (VERY recent) one?
11/04/16 David Hollingsworth A beautiful and stunning meditation of a young man
21-Oct-2016 (R)
DVD: 28-Feb-2017
Barry Jenkins
Andr� Holland
Janelle Mon�e
Ashton Sanders
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Home > Performance & promotion > Promotion > PASS scientific & technical
PASS Scientific and Technical promotions process
Introduction | Terms of Reference for SO / TO Promotions Committee
The Scientific and Technical Officers at the University of Cape Town provide an invaluable service to the university that spans a wide range of specialist activities. In recognition that each post is somewhat unique in its specialist requirements and to enable upward career mobility the university offers the opportunity for ad hominem promotion to this group of PASS staff. Performance management, career development and retention strategies are managed through this process.
The basis for deciding on promotion performance is captured in a performance standards document, which:
Differentiates the separate roles of the Scientific Officer (SO) and the Technical Officer (TO) in supporting teaching and/or research and/or management at the University;
Distinguishes the performance indicators or outputs appropriate for each rank / level.
The performance standards document enables the following:
The candidate's representation of their performance as befits the core functions of their position;
Objective evaluation of a candidate's performance level by the Promotions Committee, and assessment of whether it complies with an incremental standard;
Referees' motivations of a candidate's performance against standardised indicators / outputs for a particular rank
Broader context
Given the role that SO / TOs play in supporting the academic endeavour, performance management, career development and retention strategies need to be explicit and transparent. The elements below show the broader context within which the promotion process resides.
the candidate and line manager wish to determine performance and development plans apply Development Dialogue (DD) process
the candidate consistently meets criteria for promotion by delivering outputs consistent with that of a higher position level follow promotion process
the candidate performs excellently in any particular year apply for an Exceeds Award
operational requirements of the position change / grow apply for position evaluation
Terms of Reference for SO / TO Promotions Committee
General rules and guidelines
The terms of reference should be understood in conjunction with the general rules and procedures for committees, as published in the Principal's Circular, and on the governance intranet.
The structure, function and powers of this committee, and any sub-committee, must be approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) with responsibility for faculties.
The Promotions Committee must consider all applications (i.e. no applications may be suppressed).
To utilise accepted criteria for the evaluation of SO / TO candidates for promotion.
Thoroughly review each candidate's submission, applying principles of fair assessment to inform each recommendation for promotion.
To maintain confidentiality at each step of the process up until the candidate has been informed of the outcome by the relevant Dean.
To maintain a confidential feedback process to candidates.
To adhere to agreed timelines of promotion process.
To evaluate applications or nominations for the promotion of SO / TO staff
To make recommendations for promotion
Eligibility of SO / TO candidates
The candidate must have worked in their current position for three full years at the time that any promotion is implemented (usually 1 January of the year following the application), and may thus apply for promotion during the course of their third year.
Candidates that have failed to be promoted must wait for two years before they again become eligible for promotion and may thus apply for promotion during the course of the second year after a failed application.
In excptional circumstances, the responsible DVC of committee may waiver point number 2 above on motivation from the relevant Dean.
Permanent (GOB or non-GOB funded) SO / TO staff members are eligible to apply for promotion.
Achievements will only be considered and evaluated in services and support provided by the staff member while at UCT.
The candidate submits the following documentation, which HR makes available on-line, to all promotions committee members for confidential review.
Candidate's motivation for, and evidence of, performance in the core functional areas, using the performance standards template to capture this information. See: Performance Standards template for SOs; and Performance Standards template for TO.
Nomination letter by the candidate / a senior staff member / the HOD. This motivation should clearly articulate the level of performance against the expectations of the position, and with reference to the past two years’ performance evaluations.
Names and email addresses of up to three job-related referees, one of whom must be the candidate's HOD.
Position description (on HR191 template) reflecting current operational requirements of the section (signed by the HOD / Line Manager and the incumbent).
Current CV.
Copies of the candidate's 2 most recent performance evaluations.
The above documentation needs to be submitted as one pdf. Incomplete applications (ie. missing documents) will not be considered. Servicing officer to ensure all submitted documents are uploaded.
Prior to the promotions meeting, the HOD representing the Faculty on the Promotions Committee must convene an ad hoc committee within the Faculty. This committee should include all concerned HODs and the Scientific / Technical Officers from that Faculty serving on the promotions committee. The purpose of this committee is to evaluate all the applicants from that Faculty with the view to being able to fairly and objectively present each candidate’s case to the promotions committee to ensure that the candidate gets the best opportunity possible.
All committee members are expected to review the documentation of each candidate prior to the promotions meeting.
Formulation and composition of the Promotions Committee
Each year the SO / TO Promotions Committee will meet to assess candidates' submissions.
Membership of the Promotions Committee:
Members on the committee
1 x Deputy Vice-Chancellor (nominated by the Vice-Chancellor) Chair with Full Voting Rights
3 x Deans of relevant Faculties (FHS, Science, EBE) Full Voting Rights
7 x Scientific /Technical Officers nominated by the Faculties. Two each from EBE, FHS, FSC and one from HUM. There must be a balance between SOs and TOs. Once finalised reported to all SO/TO staff for information. Full Voting Rights
4 x HODs nominated by the Deans: EBE, HUM, FHS, FSC Full Voting Rights
2 x STOA executive Full Voting Rights
1 EU executive Full Voting Rights
1 HR representative Non-voting, Advisory and Servicing role
Note: SO/TOs should be PC10 and above, and in constituting membership, race, gender and cultural diversity should be taken into account. HODs should be from departments with a cohort of SO / TO staff.
The committee must vote by secret ballot to finalise their recommendations.
A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the total membership present at the meeting is required in order to obtain a recommendation for promotion.
Quorum rules
75% of members (14 out of 18) which must include all three Deans.
For consistency, it is recommended that the Scientific / Technical Officers and HODs should serve on the committee for up to 3 consecutive years. The Chair will recommend limited replacements each year to ensure that not every member is new. No person should serve more than two consecutive three-year terms.
Time-lines for the ad hominem process are outlined below:
1. The Deans (Health Sciences, Science, EBE, Humanities) call for applications and nominations for SO / TO promotions. July
2. The Deans call for nominations from SO / TO staff for membership of the Promotions Committee. The composition of the Promotions Committee is finalised and SO / TO staff advised. July/August
3. The candidate submits all required documentation necessary for evaluation by the Promotions Committee August
4. Faculty HR Practitioners collate all relevant documentation submitted by candidates and make it available to the Faculty Sub-Committee and Promotions Committee members for their review prior to the promotions meeting. September
5. The Promotions Committee meets to evaluate all SO / TO applications and make recommendations for promotions. October
6. Recommendation for promotion is approved and candidate notified by letter. October
7. The relevant Dean provides constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates in writing, and invites each candidate to a face-to-face meeting, which should include the HOD and line manager. October
8. Any review decision is signed off by the Promotions Committee Chairperson. October
The ad hominem process will be reviewed regularly for fairness and efficiency Ongoing
Last reviewed: April 2019
Process after an unsuccessful application
Every applicant for ad hominem promotion has a right to feedback. The Dean of the relevant faculty is responsible for constructive feedback to the unsuccessful staff member.
The Promotions Committee's decision is final. However, an applicant may request a review of the process if she/he believes that there may have been a significant degree of unfairness in the procedure. The applicant should submit a letter stating the grounds for unfair process on which the review is requested. This to be submitted via the relevant Dean within 14 days of notification of the ad hominem promotion outcome. The applicant may not submit any additional materials in support of his/her application for review which were not originally submitted to the committee.
A DVC not involved in the ad hominem process, designated by the Vice-Chancellor, should then decide whether the application has merit to be reviewed for unfair process using:
The relevant Dean's written comments on procedural fairness and reasonableness of the decision.
The Promotions Committee's decision and the reasons for its decision.
The applicant's full portfolio including performance representation against SO / TO promotions criteria, and referees' reports, as submitted with the initial application.
If the selected DVC finds the process to be unfair, the DVC remits the matter to the SO / TO Promotions Committee for reconsideration, with written reasons, and a request that the Committee considers the application afresh.
Page last updated: 4 July 2019
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New Plan For 'The Brook' at Windsor Drive
New plans for 'The Brook' at Windsor Drive backing onto Gilpin Close, submitted last month, have just become available online.
The proposed development, for Central Bedfordshire Council, is for a new 20 unit, 3-storey transitional housing scheme with associated access, shared communal facilities, parking and landscaping on a current Greenfield site.
The latest proposal moves the building closer to Houghton Brook, further away from St Thomas Meeting House, and also nearer to Gilpin Close, than earlier proposals.
Accommodation will be predominately for single adults but will have the ability to house couples who are entitled to temporary housing.
A redesign of earlier schemes was required if the Council was to obtain full plans approval. Objections were received during the earlier plans planning consultation process, specifically relating to overlooking of adjacent properties and highways vehicular access concerns. The layout overhaul has reduced windows to sensitive areas and reduced existing overlooking issues of the original proposal. Vehicular movement has been reduced and concentrated to the site frontage only. Bin and cycle stores have been located to the frontage for ease of access. An attractive boundary treatment is proposed both to the front of the site and along the edge of the public footpath in the form of an estate low-level railing.
Highways had no objections to the earlier proposed treatment of the existing bus stop and the new plan makes no changes to those.
10 car parking spaces and 8 cycle space are included in the proposal.
front of site, Windsor Drive
proposed new front of site view
Central Bedfordshire Council’s Strategic Housing Market Assessment (2015), identified the need to deliver over 360 affordable homes in Central Bedfordshire per year. There is an increasing demand for affordable housing for single adults, with a rise in the number of vulnerable single adults approaching the Council as homeless. The Council’s ambition for the site is to deliver a scheme that provides suitable, accessible accommodation for single adults with a housing need.
The proposed building will provide potential local employment opportunities in the form of management and support staff.
A transitional housing scheme provides an individual with short to medium term accommodation while they search for and prepare to transition into longer-term housing. The Council will work with residents during their stay to identify suitable move on accommodation, (e.g. private rented sector/ affordable homeownership), and where required support individuals to develop the skills needed to sustain longer-term housing solutions.
To view plans, search for CB/18/04641/REG3 at CBCs planning site: http://j.mp/cbcplanning
Or skip directly to the documents HERE. Comments can be emailed to planningcomments@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk quoting 18/04641/REG3
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Indie Film Guru
The best of American independent and foreign films.
Filmmaker Interviews
The Final Guest Checks Out
by Zac Sanford
It is the end of an era at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, a small town hotel that has been in business for over 100 years. And over those years the hotel has had its share of guests, including one that may still be roaming the halls, not as a live-in resident or staff member, but as an entity that refuses to leave after the suicide she committed many years ago.
The fact that the hotel may be haunted has always intrigued Luke (Pat Healy), and to jump on the paranormal bandwagon that has taken over reality TV, he’s built a website where he recounts the legend of jilted bride-to-be, Madeline O’Malley. Since this is the last weekend the hotel is to be open, he’s enlisted co-worker Claire (Sara Paxton) to record any occurrences that may arise during the final three days. With the hotel all but empty, they both take turns working the front desk and recording while the other sleeps in one of the empty rooms. There isn’t time drive to and from work when there’s only a little time to find and exploit the spiritual medium.
Pat Healy and Sara Paxton
It isn’t until Leanne Rease-Jones (Kelly McGillis), a former actress-turned-spiritualist, checks in for a psychic convention nearby, that things start to stir in the night. The sweet-natured Claire is enamored by her as the most famous person she’s ever met, but Leanne is bitter and feels something isn’t right in this historic building. After her convention she has a heart-to-heart with Claire, warning her that sometimes things are best left alone. But Claire doesn’t head her warning and continues to try to make a connection.
The film doesn’t fall into the typical pratfall of jump scares every ten to fifteen minutes to keep the audience intrigued. Director/writer/editor Ti West (The House of the Devil) takes his time building up to his explosive third act. You actually get a chance to know spunky Claire and bitter Luke. They have such a wonderful rapport, partially in Luke’s infatuation for Claire that has a zero percent chance to be returned. They are two close friends that are able to spend the mundane hours of the flailing business just talking and still find a way to have a good time.
And when the stuff starts to hit the fan, you’ll care. You want to see them succeed and survive to the final frame of the film when the credits roll. Sure they don’t know what the future will hold for them as they hit the unemployment line, but they may just be able to get through life… if they can only survive.
West has become a master at the slow-burn horror film, which will please some genre fans while infuriating others. His style is one that harkens back to the pre-torture porn era of the genre, letting the sensation of terror build, and finally grabbing you when he feels it is time to pull the plug. Those who are accustomed to the films where a kill must happen every ten to fifteen minutes may be bored by the first two-thirds, but hopefully will be around for the final climactic act.
But West isn’t alone. Once again he re-teams with DP Eliot Rockett, who perfectly keeps his camera aimed not on what the characters see, but instead on the characters themselves. Sound Designer Graham Reznick balances the perfect mix of loud scares with pure silence to build tension, while Jeff Grace’s score pays homage to Bernard Herman’s days with Hitchcock.
The Innkeepers is currently available on VOD through most platforms and will have a limited theatrical release on February 03, 2012.
Posted by Zoey Rose at 6:00 AM
Labels: 2012, Horror, Kelly McGillis, Pat Healy, Sara Paxton, SxSw, The Innkeepers, Ti West
Mark Dispenza, Zac Ryan
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This is a film blog about "story." It is not about acting or directorial technique. There are plenty of other sources for those. For several years I have served on the review committees of film festivals, written constructive coverage for scriptwriters and provided post-production critique for filmmaker friends. I attend multiple film festivals on an annual basis, and I see many good films that have limited distribution to the general public. The only way to see them is at film festivals or by DVD from obscure sources, and for a few lucky ones, limited art house screenings. I'm often asked to recommend titles by friends and avid film goers I meet. I hope this blog will fill that need and help you find the American independent and foreign films with stories that speak to you.
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Home > Discover the Fascinating World of the Amish in Northern Indiana
Discover the Fascinating World of the Amish in Northern Indiana
Posted on October 8, 2018 by Dina Miller
There’s no doubt about it – visitors to Indiana’s Cool North love everything Amish. The scrumptious food, intricate hand-stitched quilts, finely crafted furniture, the ever-present horse-drawn buggies, and the quiet farmsteads are truly captivating. There are many ways to get to know the Amish people, who live a lifestyle of simplicity, foregoing modern amenities such as electricity, cars and telephones. Here’s a guide for immersing yourself in all things Amish in Northern Indiana’s Elkhart and LaGrange counties – home to some 23,000 Amish residents, one of the largest Amish population in the nation.
Enter Courteously
As you travel the friendly communities and quiet back roads, you’ll get plenty of chances to meet Amish people. Respect private property, but definitely take the opportunity to chat with Amish shop and business owners and artisans who welcome guests. Here are some driving courtesies to keep in mind along with some shopping information.
Slow down for the horse-drawn buggies. They travel well under the speed limit, so watch especially as you crest hills and round corners. Respect the horses too – flashing headlights and car horns can startle them.
Don’t ask to photograph or film the Amish because it’s against their religious beliefs.
Amish businesses are closed on Sundays. Many Amish businesses do not accept credit cards but prefer doing business in cash.
Exploring a Rich History
Menno-Hof, Shipshewana
The fascinating Menno-Hof Amish-Mennonite Information Center is a great place to learn all about the Amish and closely related Mennonites, from their escape from religious persecution in Europe through their lives in modern America. Travel through five centuries as you explore a 17th century shop, replicas of an old-time sailing ship, meeting house and an Amish home. Experience the simulation of a tornado as the wind blows and the theater shakes. There are plenty of hands-on activities for the kids.
Amish Acres, Nappanee
A visit to Amish Acres Historic Farm & Heritage Resort, the only Olde Order Amish Farmstead listed in The National Register of Historic Places, will give you a deeper understanding of the Amish culture. Start out by viewing films that explain the Amish way of life before taking a guided tour through the homestead and farm and a wagon ride around the 80-acre grounds. Amish Acres also features a theater, restaurant, and bakery (see below under specific categories).
Buggy Tours
You see horse-drawn buggies everywhere, so why not enjoy a ride yourself? A variety of tours are available from Blue Gate Carriage Tours, Buggy Lane Tours and Miller’s Buggy Line Company, all located in Shipshewana. Amish drivers will fill you in on the area and their experiences growing up here as you clip-clop through town or the countryside. You’ll see pristine white farmsteads where laundry flaps in the breeze and colorful gardens abound. Some tours stop at shops on homesteads, Amish dairy farms and include dinner at an Amish home.
Amish Stories on Stage
History comes alive in top-notch theatrical performances that explore Amish life through stirring musicals. At the Blue Gate Theatre in Shipshewana, the newest full-length musical, Stolen, is a mystery that takes place in an Amish community, and the Christmas season will bring a heartwarming new musical, Christmas in Paradise. At the Round Barn Theatre, a historic venue at Amish Acres in Nappanee, Plain and Fancy, a much-loved musical that tells the Amish story beautifully, has delighted more than 300,000 theatergoers over the years.
Shopping for Amish Treasures
Just about everything about this busy town says “Amish,” from the horse-drawn buggies of the Amish who shop and work here to more than 100 stores, many featuring Amish-made goods. Several furniture stores sell beautiful Amish creations from cabinets to clocks. When you see the name Yoder, you’ll find goods such as meat raised on their nearby farms at their Meat & Cheese store, goods that hearken to a simpler lifestyle at their Hardware and a mix of finds at the stores in their Red Barn Shops, including the unique Amish-owned Red Bud tea store. E&S Sales is an experience in itself with hundreds of varieties of bulk foods plus a bountiful deli. Lolly’s is filled with Amish-made quilts and supplies.
Just down the road a few miles from Shipshewana, the tiny town of Middlebury is home to the Essenhaus Village Shops, five specialty shops in original homestead buildings that have been refurbished. They’re filled with finds that include Amish-made quilts and furniture, inspirational books, and artworks.The shops are part of the Das Dutchman Essenhaus campus, which includes an inn, buggy rides and a restaurant (see “Dining” below).
Shingle Shops
Roaming the back roads pays off in so many ways, especially if you want to get to know Amish merchants and browse among their unique creations. Shingle shops, the small stores on Amish farmsteads denoted by a sign or “shingle,” seem to emerge around every bend. On the roads outside of Shipshewana, you can make a bird house with a little help from crafters or buy one at B & L Woodcrafts. You’ll find many more shops as you journey.
Countryside Shops
Countryside Shoppes Showcase at Coppes Commons in Nappanee displays the works of Amish crafters and other local artisans and provides you with a map that will lead you to their rural shops and other businesses in the countryside. While you’re in town, visit the varied shops within the historic Coppes Commons building many of which are Amish owned and operated .
Delicious Dining – Amish-style
Dinner in an Amish Home
Visitors take away a true Amish experience that they’ll talk about for years to come when they take advantage of the bountiful dinners prepared by Amish families in their homes. Not only is the food amazing, but so is the hospitality. The experience gives you a chance to converse directly with Amish people and learn their stories. Visitors rave about the fried chicken, Swiss steak, noodles and fabulous rolls at Mullet’s Dining in Nappanee. Accolades abound for feasts at several other places, including Yoder’s Homestyle Cooking, where one option is to attend a class in Amish cooking before you dine.
Threshers Dinner at Amish Acres
Under the hand-hewn timbers of the Restaurant Barn at Amish Acres, the Threshers Dinner feast fills you up with delicious Amish fare while paying tribute to the generations of Amish threshers who band together each harvest season helping to bring in each other’s crops. Traditional Amish food – home-baked breads, apple butter, ham, chicken, noodles, mashed potatoes and scrumptious pies – is served family-style, and the platters just keep coming. The barn was originally raised in 1870 and moved to Amish acres in 1977.
Blue Gate Restaurant and Das Dutchman Essenhaus
You might see an Amish family or two dining at either of these popular restaurants. Portions are as generous as the hospitality at The Blue Gate Restaurant in Shipshewana, where standards such as fried chicken and beef and noodles star on the dinner menu and are a delight. And there are more than 25 kinds of pie to choose from! In Middlebury, Das Dutchman Essenhaus claims the title of Indiana’s largest family restaurant, seating more than 1,000. But the food is down-home Amish, featuring chicken, ham, roast beef, and more than 30 fabulous pies. Dine buffet-style, family style, or off the menu.
In Indiana’s Cool North, it would be a rare visitor who could leave this Amish area without delighting in a piece of from-scratch pie, fresh-from-the-oven cookies, yeasty breads, cinnamon rolls dripping with frosting and so much more. Everything is so delicious, it seems almost mandatory to take some treats back home, along with other Amish goodies – locally made jams, jellies, noodles, and Amish peanut butter. You’ll find them in many area restaurants and smaller shops such as Bread Box Bakery in Shipshewana. A true find is Country Lane Bakery, run by an Amish family and tucked along a quiet road outside of Middlebury. It’s a fitting finale for your Amish adventure.
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Visual defects in hearing-challenged schoolchildren from Ludhiana, Punjab
Renu Thakur1, Jaikishan JayaKumar2, Sangeeta Pant3
1 Sankara Academy of Vision, Sankara Eye Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
2 Center for Computational Brain Research Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
3 Chitkara College of Education, Chitkara University, Punjab, Chandigarh, India
Date of Web Publication 19-Jun-2019
Prof. Renu Thakur
Village Bhanohar, Post Dhaka, Ferozepur-Ludhiana Road, Near Wadi Haveli, Ludhiana - 141 101, Punjab
DOI: 10.4103/indianjotol.INDIANJOTOL_95_18
Purpose: We compared Visual attention of normal hearing students and congenitally deaf students, Deaf students are visually depended; respective study help us to find out visual attention of Deaf as compared with age matched hearing students. Method: Total 118 deaf students aged from 6 to 25 years were screened from School for the Deaf Children, Kitchlu Nagar, Ludhiana Punjab 141001. 30 students were randomly selected from age group 8.5 to 11.11 years. All 30 deaf students where compared with age-matched hearing students from Peace Public School NH 95, Ferozepur - Ludhiana Road, Ludhiana, Punjab 141102. Informed consent was taken from all students pears, all the participants where having best corrected distance visual acuity 6/6 (snellen chart) and near visual acuity N6. Anterior and Posterior eye examination where evaluated in Sankara Eye Hospital Ludhiana, prior to the test; Visual attention was evaluated using two different test type, SDMT Symbol digit Modality test and Attention Blink by Visual attention Brain Baseline App. Result: Symbol Digit Modality Test; didn't show significant difference between. Deaf (N= 30) and Hearing students (N=30), Deaf students (Mean 0.97, S.D 2.57 and SEM 0.47), Hearing students (Mean 0.47, S.D 0.97, SEM 0.18) T-ratio 1 and P-Value 0.32 there was no difference between deaf and hearing impaired group. Visual attention- Brain Baseline App, the attention blink showed significant difference between Deaf and hearing impaired students. Deaf students (Mean 0.09, S.D 0.08 and SEM 0.02), Hearing students (Mean 0.22, S.D 0.18, SEM 0.03) T-ratio 3.41 and P-Value 0.001. Conclusion: Deaf group had made less error, deaf showed better attention as compare with hearing group. This finding indicates that deaf students are having better attention in the central visual attention. It can be one of the factors for peripheral distraction of deaf students.
Keywords: Cataract, color vision defect, corneal opacities, dry eye, hearing impairment, ophthalmic, refractive error, screening, strabismus, visual acuity, visual deficits
Thakur R, JayaKumar J, Pant S. Visual defects in hearing-challenged schoolchildren from Ludhiana, Punjab. Indian J Otol 2019;25:18-21
Thakur R, JayaKumar J, Pant S. Visual defects in hearing-challenged schoolchildren from Ludhiana, Punjab. Indian J Otol [serial online] 2019 [cited 2019 Jul 16];25:18-21. Available from: http://www.indianjotol.org/text.asp?2019/25/1/18/260725
Deafness or hearing impairment is a relatively common form of sensory deficit found in children. The number of infants who are born deaf is 1 for every 1000 infants,[1] with more children acquiring various degrees of hearing impairment within the first 2 years of life.[2] These numbers remarkably are similar in most countries.[3] Hearing deficit is a major problem in the society, with almost one-third of prelingual children in Nepal unable to acquire their speech and language.[4] Studies have indicated that the prevalence of ocular abnormalities among the deaf and hearing impaired is higher than that of the general population of comparable age group.[3] Although this association is unclear, one hypothesis suggests that it may be due to the close anatomical relationship of the retina and cochlea which develops from the same embryonic layer.[5] It is also generally claimed that visual input accounts for 75% of all sensory information acquisition, and hearing and vision together account for almost all sensory inputs.[6] The coexistence of hearing and visual impairment in children predisposes them to many challenges including difficulties in communication, learning, and social interaction.[7] It is often proposed that, when one sense is impaired, another sense often compensates for the disability, for example, the hearing impaired may compensate by making greater use of visual-perceptual cues than their normal-hearing peers. However, any visual deficits, for example, refractive error, result in the reduction of the available visual cues, and thus has a significant impact on the lifestyle of the hearing impaired.[8] The prevalence of visual deficits in the schoolgoing hearing-impaired population is remarkably similar in most countries across the world irrespective of their socioeconomic status. The prevalence ranges between 33% and 75% in the United States,[9],[10] 43% in the UK,[11] and among the developed countries to 32%–73% in sub-Saharan Africa.[6],[12] In India, the seminal study by Gogate et al.[13] in a set of hearing-impaired schools in Maharashtra found a prevalence of ocular disorders to be 24% among the hearing-impaired schoolgoing population. Compared with the data from other countries, this was a surprisingly low percentage, and one of our goals was to confirm these findings. In order to achieve our goals in this study, we wanted to determine the prevalence of visual deficits in a population of hearing impaired by screening for visual deficits in a schoolgoing population of deaf children in Ludhiana, Punjab.
All methods used in this study include routine noninvasive clinical techniques, which are routinely used in the detection of visual disorders. The procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional or regional) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Prior permissions and approval were sought and obtained from the head principal of the hearing-impaired school. In addition, the teachers of the school were given information briefing the methods used in the study. This was done to help in communication (sign language) with the students. The researchers were also well versed with the sign language used in the school.
The procedures used in this study were visual acuity, subjective and objective refraction, accommodation status using the monocular estimation method (MEM), pupillary examination, evaluation of the extraocular muscle mobility, cover tests, and a detailed fundus examination using a direct ophthalmoscope. Visual acuity for distance (6 m) and near (40 cm) was evaluated using the Snellen number charts. Refractive status of the participants was obtained through static retinoscopy which was then refined using subjective refraction techniques. Refractive errors were classified as myopia ≥−0.50 D, hypermetropia as ≥+0.75 D, and astigmatism as ≥+0.50 D. Amblyopia was defined as the condition where there were at least three line differences in the visual acuity between the eyes that could not be explained by ocular defects other than anisometropia, strabismus, or large astigmatic error. In general, the visual acuity of the amblyopic eye was 6/60 or lesser. Children who need detailed evaluation were referred to the Pediatric Ophthalmology Department, Sankara Eye Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India, where a detailed retinal investigation with indirect ophthalmoscope and anterior segment with slit-lamp biomicroscope was done.
Screening was conducted on a total of 118 children and young adults available in the school of the hearing impaired. Seventy (59.32%) children were male, and 48 (40.67%) children were female (age range: 6–25 years). The refractive status of the children was decided on the basis of results from both subjective and objective refraction. We were unable to perform subjective refraction in three participants as they neither read the Snellen visual acuity chart nor knew sign language to communicate. We found 71 (60.2%) of the screened children with some form of visual deficits, including binocular vision disorders such as phoria. The results of our screening are summarized in [Table 1].
Table 1: Prevalence of ocular disorders in the screening program of a deaf school and comparison to a previous study which was performed on a similar Indian population[13]
Refractive error was found in 34 (28.8%) of our patient population. The rest (including mild hyperopia <0.75 D or astigmatism <0.5 D) were classified as having emmetropia. The distribution of the refractive error was hyperopia in 15 (12.7%) children, astigmatism in 6 (5.1%) children, and myopia (mild to moderate) in 15 (12.7%) children.
Binocular anomalies formed the majority of the visual deficits in our patient population. The cover tests, to look for latent strabismus (phoria) and manifest strabismus (tropia), revealed that 52 (44.1%) children had ocular deviations. One child (0.8%) had nystagmus and was unable to fixate for the cover tests. Amblyopia was present in four (3.4%) children. Exo or outward deviation was the common ocular deviation in 47 children (39.8%), and eso or inward deviation was present in five children (4.2%). Uncorrected manifest strabismus (tropia) was found in nine children, with eight (6.7%) having exotropia and one with esotropia. Accommodative status was also evaluated by MEM at 40 cm. A “lag” of accommodation between +0.25 D and +0.75 D is considered normal for all age group.[14],[15] Half of the screened children (n = 59) had normal accommodation status. Eight (6.8%) children had significantly higher lag than normal, and 51 (43.2%) children had lead of accommodation (<+0.25 D). MEM was not possible in 16 (13.55%) children due to significant media opacities.
Near point of convergence was assessed and was found to be within normal limits in all children except 18 children who showed convergence insufficiency. Ocular health was assessed in all the 118 participants. Anterior-segment anomalies were found in four children (3.38%). Lenticular problem was found in five (4.24%) children, in which three (2.54%) had cataract and two (1.69%) were aphakic. Posterior-segment anomalies were found in eight (6.77%) children. One children was diagnosed to have severe dry eye. Color vision deficits were found in three (2.54%) children. One children (0.84%) had pupillary defect. Surprisingly, we found only two children with known syndromes that affect both vision and audition, including one children with Marfan's syndrome and one with Usher syndrome.
Our screening results show that there is a significant coexistence of visual defects (60.2%) in children and young adults screened from a school for hearing impaired in Ludhiana, Punjab. This prevalence is higher than those reported previously,[6],[10],[11] but is comparable to those reported in other studies.[9],[12] In comparison with a similar Indian population,[13] our prevalence rates are higher. However, unlike the seminal study by Gogate et al.,[13] we also measured the binocular status of our children including cover tests and MEM retinoscopy. The majority of our visual deficits can be classified as a binocular anomaly including phorias and accommodative discrepancies.
Our study matches the prevalence of significant refractive error (28.8%) as compared with the study by Gogate et al.[13] (18.5%), and hence we can explain the overall difference in visual deficits to the presence of binocular anomalies, which was not tested in the Gagote et al's. study. In our study, the distribution of the refractive error was 12.7% hyperopia, 5.1% astigmatism, and 12.7% myopia. Two of the children had complex astigmatism, i.e., myopia or hyperopia in addition to significant astigmatism. The rates that we report are similar to those reported by Ovenseri-Ogbomo et al.[6] Comparable studies from countries similar to India like Iran[16] and Turkey[17] show almost 52% refractive error out of 158 male deaf students and 29.8% out of 104 deaf children, respectively. In sub-Saharan Africa, the reported values are 31.9% for the prevalence of refractive error as obtained by Ovenseri-Ogbomo et al.[6] out of 243 deaf students in Ghana and 73.26% by Osaiyuwu andEbeigbe[12] in Benin. Although over a quarter of our screened population had significant refractive error, a majority of them had never undergone an eye screening or a checkup, which could have resulted in an early diagnosis and subsequent correction of the refractive error.
We found that a majority of our visual deficits (44.1%) can be broadly classified as binocular anomalies. This is significantly higher than that of the general population. For example, Ovenseri-Ogbomo and Assien[18] estimated the prevalence of ocular deviations to be 16.4% in the Ghanaian normal schoolgoing population. Our cover tests revealed that 43 (36.4%) of our screened children had latent strabismus and nine had manifest strabismus (7.6%). Surprisingly, the report of latent strabismus in deaf schoolgoing population is rare, and only one study[9] has reported an incidence of 11%. The prevalence of manifest strabismus has been reported to be around 9%–11%.[9],[19] Our study reveals a high percentage of children with lead of accommodation as revealed by MEM, the significance of such a high percentage is currently unknown, and further investigations including cycloplegic refraction are warranted to quantify these responses.
In our study, we also reported other ocular anomalies such as cataract, corneal opacities, and anterior-segment anomalies. One child was diagnosed to have a severe dry eye. Eight children had retinal disorders diagnosed with a direct ophthalmoscope. Our results are consistent with the studies reported by Mafong et al.[20] and Pollard and Neumaier,[10] but our rates of ocular abnormalities in deaf schoolchildren were higher than those reported in previous studies.[9],[11],[21] Our rates of ocular abnormalities were diagnosed within the screening protocol using a direct ophthalmoscope. There is a need for extensive visual screening in deaf schoolchildren including indirect ophthalmoscopy, which can potentially reveal more ocular abnormalities. In addition, we also propose the inclusion of cycloplegic refraction to accurately determine the refractive and accommodative status of these individuals.
In addition to the lack of an appropriate visual screening protocol in hearing-impaired schools, there is also a significant lack of awareness of visual problems among the children. In addition, communication barriers and an inability to express any visual difficulties contribute to difficulties in determining the well-being among these children. This is particularly true for children who are newly admitted to the school and thus are poor in sign language and communication. This study argues for a need of systematic and regularly scheduled visual screening and eye examination for this vulnerable group of people. Our report of prevalence and occurrences of ocular abnormalities in this study might have been underreported because eye examinations in schools have been conducted without other important evaluations such as stereopsis, vergence, and intraocular pressure evaluation, which are important in the diagnosis of other ocular disorders.
Our study shows that schoolgoing hearing-impaired children and young adults have a significantly higher risk of having ocular morbidity. The combination of both the important senses of the human body is affected, which further exacerbates the problem. Hence, periodic eye examinations and vision screening are important in this hearing-impaired population.
Fortnum HM, Summerfield AQ, Marshall DH, Davis AC, Bamford JM. Prevalence of permanent childhood hearing impairment in the United Kingdom and implications for universal neonatal hearing screening: Questionnaire based ascertainment study. BMJ 2001;323:536-40.
American Speech-Language Hearing Association. Causes of Hearing Loss AUDIOLOGY in Children. Audiology Information Series; 2015.
Hollingsworth R, Ludlow AK, Wilkins A, Calver R, Allen PM. Visual performance and ocular abnormalities in deaf children and young adults: A literature review. Acta Ophthalmol 2014;92:305-10.
Bist J, Adhikari P, Sharma AK. Ocular morbidity in hearing impaired school children. Child Care Health Dev 2011;37:394-7.
Armitage IM, Burke JP, Buffin JT. Visual impairment in severe and profound sensorineural deafness. Arch Dis Child 1995;73:53-6.
Ovenseri-Ogbomo G, Abraham C, Kio F. Visual impairment and ocular findings among deaf and hearing impaired school children in central region, Ghana. J Med Biomed Sci 2013;2:16-22.
Nikolopoulos TP, Lioumi D, Stamataki S, O'Donoghue GM. Evidence-based overview of ophthalmic disorders in deaf children: A literature update. Otol Neurotol 2006;27:S1-24.
Woodruff ME. Differential effects of various causes of deafness on the eyes, refractive errors, and vision of children. Am J Optom Physiol Opt 1986;63:668-75.
Mohindra I. Vision profile of deaf children. Optom Vis Sci 1976;53:8.
Pollard G, Neumaier R. Vision characteristics of deaf students. Optom Vis Sci 1974;119:740-6.
Guy R, Nicholson J, Pannu SS, Holden R. A clinical evaluation of ophthalmic assessment in children with sensori-neural deafness. Child Care Health Dev 2003;29:377-84.
Osaiyuwu A, Ebeigbe J. Prevalence of visual disorders in deaf children in Benin city. J Niger Optom Assoc 2010;15:20-3.
Gogate P, Rishikeshi N, Mehata R, Ranade S, Kharat J, Deshpande M, et al. Visual impairment in the hearing impaired students. Indian J Ophthalmol 2009;57:451-3.
Scheiman M, Wick B. Clinical Management of Binocular Vision: Heterophoric, Accommodative, and Eye Movement Disorders. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins; 2013.
Jiménez R, González MD, Pérez MA, García JA. Evolution of accommodative function and development of ocular movements in children. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2003;23:97-107.
Nejad MK, Akbari MR, Pazooki MR, Amiri MA, Askarizadeh F, Tabar MR, et al. The prevalence of refractive errors and binocular anomalies in students of deaf boys schools in Tehran. Iran J Ophthalmol 2015;126:183-8.
Hanioǧlu-Kargi S, Köksal M, Tomaç S, Uǧurba SH, Alpay A. Ophthalmologic abnormalities in children from a Turkish school for the deaf. Turk J Pediatr 2003;45:39-42.
Ovenseri-Ogbomo GO, Assien R. Refractive error in school children in Agona Swedru, Ghana. Afr Vis Eye Health 2010;69:86-92.
Alexander JC. Ocular abnormalities among congenitally deaf children. Can J Ophthalmol 1973;8:428-33.
Mafong DD, Shin EJ, Lalwani AK. Use of laboratory evaluation and radiologic imaging in the diagnostic evaluation of children with sensorineural hearing loss. Laryngoscope 2002;112:1-7.
Siatkowski RM, Flynn JT, Hodges AV, Balkany TJ. Ophthalmologic abnormalities in the pediatric cochlear implant population. Am J Ophthalmol 1994;118:70-6.
Thakur R
JayaKumar J
Pant S
color vision defect
corneal opacities
refractive error
visual acuity
visual deficits
© Indian Journal of Otology | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
Online since 01 June, 2011
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List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves recipients (1945)
Oak Leaves recipients
Grand Cross
Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
Oak Leaves and Swords
Oak Leaves
Knight's Cross
Ba–Bm
Bn–Bz
Ha–Hm
Hn–Hz
Ka–Km
Kn–Kz
Sa–Schr
Schu–Sz
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and its variants were the highest awards in the military of the Third Reich during World War II. This military decoration was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks, from a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle to a low-ranking soldier for a single act of extreme gallantry. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) was introduced on 3 June 1940 to further distinguish those who had already received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and who continued to show merit in combat bravery or military success. A total of 7 awards were made in 1940, 50 in 1941, 111 in 1942, 192 in 1943, 328 in 1944, and 194 in 1945, giving a total of 882 recipients—excluding the 8 foreign recipients of the award.
This total is based on the analysis and acceptance of the order commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR),[1] but author and historian Veit Scherzer has challenged the validity of 27 of these listings.[2] With the exception of Hermann Fegelein, all of the disputed recipients received the award in 1945, when the deteriorating situation of the Third Reich during the final days of World War II left a number of nominations incomplete and pending in various stages of the approval process. Hermann Fegelein received the Oak Leaves in 1942, but was sentenced to death by Adolf Hitler and executed by SS-Gruppenführer Johann Rattenhuber's Reichssicherheitsdienst (RSD) on 28 April 1945 after a court-martial led by SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS Wilhelm Mohnke. The sentence was carried out the same day. The death sentence, according to German law, resulted in the loss of all orders and honorary signs.[3]
2 Recipients of 1945
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grades were based on four separate enactments. The first enactment, Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 1573 of 1 September 1939 instituted the Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz), the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). Article 2 of the enactment mandated that the award of a higher class be preceded by the award of all preceding classes.[4] As the war progressed, some of the recipients of the Knight's Cross distinguished themselves further and a higher grade, the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, was instituted. The Oak Leaves, as they were commonly referred to, were based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 849 of 3 June 1940.[5] In 1941, two higher grades of the Knight's Cross were instituted. The enactment Reichsgesetzblatt I S. 613 of 28 September 1941 introduced the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern) and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten).[6] At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten), based on the enactment Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11 of 29 December 1944, became the final variant of the Knight's Cross authorized.[7]
Number of presentations
Posthumous presentations
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces) kept separate Knight's Cross lists for each of the three military branches—Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy), and Luftwaffe (Air Force)—and also for the Waffen-SS. Within each of these lists a unique sequential number was assigned to each recipient. The same numbering was applied to the higher grades of the Knight's Cross, one list per grade.[8] Of the 194 awards made in 1945, 19 presentations were made posthumously. Heer members received 127 of the medals, 5 went to the Kriegsmarine, 37 to the Luftwaffe, and 25 to the Waffen-SS.[9]
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to one of the 194 Oak Leaves recipients of 1945.[1] However, Viet Scherzer has disputed the listing of General der Infanterie Hermann Niehoff on the basis of poor record keeping associated with the deteriorating situation of the Third Reich during the final days of World War II.[10] The sequential numbers greater than 843 for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and 143 for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords are unofficial and were assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) and are therefore denoted in parentheses.[11] The recipients are ordered and numbered chronologically. The rank listed is the recipient's rank at the time the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves was awarded.
This along with the + (plus) indicates that a higher grade of Knight's Cross was awarded as well.
This along with the * (asterisk) indicates that the Knight's Cross was awarded posthumously.
This along with the ? (question mark) indicates that historian Veit Scherzer has expressed doubt regarding the veracity or formal correctness of the listing.
Role and unit[Note 1]
689 Behr, Heinrich Baron vonHeinrich Baron von Behr Heer 17-HOberst[12] Commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 200[12][13] 000000001945-01-09-00009 January 1945[12]
690 Mühlen, Kurt-Hermann Freiherr vonKurt-Hermann Freiherr von Mühlen Heer 18-HGeneralmajor[14] Commander of the 559. Volksgrenadier-Division[13][14] 000000001945-01-09-00009 January 1945[14]
691 Lucht, WalterWalter Lucht Heer 20-HGeneral der Artillerie[15] Commanding general of the LXVI. Armeekorps[13][15] 000000001945-01-09-00009 January 1945[15]
692 Gravenreuth, Sigmund-Ulrich Freiherr vonSigmund-Ulrich Freiherr von Gravenreuth Luftwaffe 16-LOberstleutnant[16] Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 30[13][16] 000000001945-01-09-00009 January 1945*[16] Killed in flying accident 16 October 1944[13]
693 Gröschke, KurtKurt Gröschke Luftwaffe 16-LOberstleutnant[17] Commander of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 15[13][17] 000000001945-01-09-00009 January 1945[17]
694 Herzog, KurtKurt Herzog Heer 20-HGeneral der Artillerie[18] Commanding general of the XXXVIII. Armeekorps[13][18] 000000001945-01-12-000012 January 1945[18]
695 Eisele, AloisAlois Eisele Heer 15-HMajor[19] Commander of the III./Grenadier-Regiment 61[13][19] 000000001945-01-12-000012 January 1945[19]
696 Riedesel Freiherr zu Eisenbach, VolprechtVolprecht Riedesel Freiherr zu Eisenbach Luftwaffe 16-LOberstleutnant[20] Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 54 (J)[13][20] 000000001945-01-14-000014 January 1945[20]
697 Brendel, JoachimJoachim Brendel Luftwaffe 14-LHauptmann[21] Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"[13][21] 000000001945-01-14-000014 January 1945[21]
698 Hasse, WilhelmWilhelm Hasse Heer 20-HGeneral der Infanterie[22] Commanding general of the II. Armeekorps[13][22] 000000001945-01-14-000014 January 1945[22]
699 Gollert-Hansen, Hans-DetlefHans-Detlef Gollert-Hansen Heer 14-HRittmeister of the Reserves[23] Commander of the II./Reiter-Regiment 31[13][23] 000000001945-01-14-000014 January 1945[23]
700 Breger, ClausClaus Breger Heer 14-HHauptmann[24] Commander of the I./Füsilier-Regiment 27[24][25] 000000001945-01-14-000014 January 1945*[24] Died of wounds on 17 December 1944[25]
701 Streckenbach, BrunoBruno Streckenbach Waffen-SS 19-WSS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS[Note 2] Commander of the 19. Waffen-Grenadier Division der Waffen-SS (lett. Nr. 2)[25][26] 000000001945-01-16-000016 January 1945[26]
702 Reinwald, MaxMax Reinwald Heer 17-HOberst of the Reserves[27] Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 19 "List"[25][27] 000000001945-01-18-000018 January 1945[27]
703 Henze, RichardRichard Henze Heer 16-HOberstleutnant of the Reserves[28] Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 489[25][28] 000000001945-01-18-000018 January 1945[28]
704 Risse, WaltherWalther Risse Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[29] Commander of the 225. Infanterie-Division[25][29] 000000001945-01-18-000018 January 1945[29]
705 Löhr, AlexanderAlexander Löhr Luftwaffe 21-LGeneraloberst[30] Commander-in-chief of Heeresgruppe E[25][30] 000000001945-01-20-000020 January 1945[30]
706 Schmidhuber, GerhardGerhard Schmidhuber Heer 18-HGeneralmajor[31] Commander of the 13. Panzer-Division[25][31] 000000001945-01-21-000021 January 1945[31]
707 Schöning, WilhelmWilhelm Schöning Heer 15-HMajor of the Reserves[32] Leader of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 66[25][32] 000000001945-01-21-000021 January 1945[32]
708 Kündiger, HerbertHerbert Kündiger Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[33] Leader of Kampfgruppe of the 271. Volksgenadier-Division in the fortress Budapest[34][Note 3] 000000001945-01-21-000021 January 1945[33]
709 Henze, AlbertAlbert Henze Heer 18-HGeneralmajor[28] Commander of Gruppe Henze (Feld-Division 21 (L))[25][28] 000000001945-01-21-000021 January 1945[28]
710 Reuter, ErichErich Reuter Heer 18-HGeneralmajor[35] Commander of the 46. Infanterie-Division[25][35] 000000001945-01-21-000021 January 1945[35]
711 Dahlmann, KurtKurt Dahlmann Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[36] Geschwaderkommodore of Nachtschlachtgeschwader 20[25][36] 000000001945-01-24-000024 January 1945[36]
712 Plenzat, KurtKurt Plenzat Luftwaffe 12-LLeutnant[37] Pilot in the 2./Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"[25][37] 000000001945-01-24-000024 January 1945[37]
713 Rollwage, HerbertHerbert Rollwage Luftwaffe 12-LLeutnant[38] Staffelkapitän of the 5./Jagdgeschwader 53[25][38] 000000001945-01-24-000024 January 1945[38]
714 Schafer, MaxMax Schäfer Waffen-SS 17-WSS-Standartenführer[Note 4] Corps pioneer leader of the III. SS-Panzerkorps[25][39] 000000001945-01-25-000025 January 1945[39]
715 Proll, KarlKarl Pröll Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[40] Commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 35[25][40] 000000001945-01-25-000025 January 1945[40]
716 Bohlke, HellmuthHellmuth Böhlke Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[41] Commander of the 334. Infanterie-Division[25][41] 000000001945-01-25-000025 January 1945[41]
717 Suss, WalterWalter Süß Heer 10-HOberfeldwebel[42] Zugführer (platoon leader) in the Stabskompanie/Grenadier-Regiment 273[25][42] 000000001945-01-25-000025 January 1945[42]
718 Spindler, WilhelmWilhelm Spindler Heer 15-HMajor[43] Leader of Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 99[25][43] 000000001945-01-31-000031 January 1945[43] At the same time promoted to Oberstleutnant
719 Arndt, KarlKarl Arndt Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[44] Commander of the 359. Infanterie-Division[25][44] 000000001945-02-01-00001 February 1945[44]
720 Wahl, KurtKurt Wahl Waffen-SS 15-WSS-Sturmbannführer[45] Commander of the SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 17 "Götz von Berlichingen"[46][Note 5] 000000001945-02-01-00001 February 1945[45]
721 Rumohr, JoachimJoachim Rumohr Waffen-SS 18-WSS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS[47] Commander of the 8. SS-Kavallerie-Division "Florian Geyer"[46][47] 000000001945-02-01-00001 February 1945[47]
722 Zehender, AugustAugust Zehender Waffen-SS 18-WSS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS[48] Commander of the 22. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division "Maria Theresia"[46][48] 000000001945-02-01-00001 February 1945[48]
723 Pfeffer-Wildenbruch, KarlKarl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch Waffen-SS 20-WSS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Police and Waffen-SS[49] Commanding general of the IX. SS-Gebirgskorps[46][49] 000000001945-02-01-00001 February 1945[49]
724 Dahl, WaltherWalther Dahl Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[36] Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 300[36][46] 000000001945-02-01-00001 February 1945[36] At the same time promoted to Oberstleutnant[46]
725 Rossmann, KarlKarl Roßmann Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[50] Commander of Fallschirm-Panzer-Regiment 1 "Hermann Göring"[46][50] 000000001945-02-01-00001 February 1945[50]
726 Jansa, ErnstErnst Jansa Luftwaffe 17-LOberst[51] Commander of Flak-Sturm-Regiment 12[46][Note 6] 000000001945-02-01-00001 February 1945[51]
727 Harder, JürgenJürgen Harder Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[52] Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 11[46][52] 000000001945-02-01-00001 February 1945[52]
728 Vincon, OttoOtto Vincon Heer 15-HMajor of the Reserves[53] Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 460[46][53] 000000001945-02-05-00005 February 1945[53]
729 Sander, JoachimJoachim Sander Heer 17-HOberst[54] Commander of Panzer-Regiment 31[46][54] 000000001945-02-05-00005 February 1945*[54] Killed in action 3 November 1944[54]
730 Plettenberg, Georg Graf vonGeorg Graf von Plettenberg Heer 14-HRittmeister[37] Commander of schwere Kavallerie-Abteilung 4[37][46] 000000001945-02-05-00005 February 1945[37]
731 Weichs, Maximilian vonMaximilian von Weichs Heer 22-HGeneralfeldmarschall[55] OB Südost (Commander-in-chief Heeresgruppe F)[46][55] 000000001945-02-05-00005 February 1945[55]
732 Osterhold, WilhelmWilhelm Osterhold Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[56] Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 48[46][56] 000000001945-02-10-000010 February 1945[56]
733 Jauer, GeorgGeorg Jauer Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[57] Commander of the 20. Panzergrenadier-Division[46][57] 000000001945-02-10-000010 February 1945[57]
734 Oesterwitz, Karl-HeinzKarl-Heinz Oesterwitz Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[58] Commander of Jäger-Regiment 2 "Brandenburg"[46][58] 000000001945-02-10-000010 February 1945[58]
735 Wittmann, HerbertHerbert Wittmann Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[59] Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Kampfgeschwader 53 "Legion Condor"[46][59] 000000001945-02-11-000011 February 1945[59]
736 Schramm, HerbertHerbert Schramm Luftwaffe 13-LOberleutnant[60] Staffelkapitän of the 5./Jagdgeschwader 27[60][61] 000000001945-02-11-000011 February 1945*[60] Killed in action 1 December 1943[60]
737 Frank, Anton-OttoAnton-Otto Frank Heer 14-HHauptmann[62] Commander of Heeres-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 743[61][62] 000000001945-02-07-00007 February 1945[62]
738 Müller, AntonAnton Müller Heer 14-HHauptmann[63] Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 503[61][63] 000000001945-02-14-000014 February 1945[63]
739 Zorn, EduardEduard Zorn Heer 17-HOberst im Generalstab (in the general staff)[64] Leader of the 189. Infanterie-Division[61][64] 000000001945-02-16-000016 February 1945*[64] Killed in action 4 February 1945[64]
740 Schulke, WilliWilli Schülke Heer 14-HHauptmann[65] Commander of the III./Ski-Jäger-Regiment 1[61][65] 000000001945-02-16-000016 February 1945[65]
741 Blumentritt, GüntherGünther Blumentritt Heer 20-HGeneral der Infanterie[66] Acting commander (leader) of the 25. Armee[61][66] 000000001945-02-18-000018 February 1945[66]
742 Heichele, JosefJosef Heichele Heer 15-HMajor[67] Commander of Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 129[61][67] 000000001945-02-17-000017 February 1945[67]
743 Gebhardt, GeorgGeorg Gebhardt Heer 16-HOberstleutnant of the Reserves[68] Commander of Sturm-Regiment 195[61][68] 000000001945-02-19-000019 February 1945[68]
744 Knebel, ErnstErnst Knebel Heer 17-HOberst[69] Commander of the Armee-Waffenschule 3. Panzerarmee (AOK 3)[61][69] 000000001945-02-19-000019 February 1945[69]
745 Klasing, FritzFritz Klasing Heer 17-HOberst of the Reserves[70] Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 232[61][70] 000000001945-02-19-000019 February 1945[70]
746 Blaurock, EdmundEdmund Blaurock Heer 18-HGeneralmajor[71] Commander of the 56. Infanterie-Division[61][71] 000000001945-02-19-000019 February 1945[71]
747 Schulz, LudwigLudwig Schulz Luftwaffe 18-LGeneralmajor[72] Commander of a Kampfgruppe in the Luftkriegsschule 5[61][Note 7] 000000001945-02-19-000019 February 1945[72]
748 Hermichen, RolfRolf Hermichen Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[73] Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 11[61][73] 000000001945-02-19-000019 February 1945[73]
749 Krebs, HansHans Krebs Heer 20-HGeneral der Infanterie[74] Chief of the Generalstab of Heeresgruppe B[61][74] 000000001945-02-20-000020 February 1945[74]
750 Ewert, Heinz-MartinHeinz-Martin Ewert Heer 15-HMajor[75] Abschnitts-Kommandant (sector commander) West/Festung Posen[61][75] 000000001945-02-22-000022 February 1945[75]
751 Rappard, Fritz-Georg vonFritz-Georg von Rappard Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[76] Commander of the 7. Infanterie-Division[61][76] 000000001945-02-24-000024 February 1945[76]
752 Jakwert, JosefJosef Jakwert Heer 12-HLeutnant[77] Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 2./Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 1562[61][77] 000000001945-02-24-000024 February 1945[77]
753 Warschnauer, HorstHorst Warschnauer Heer 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves[Note 8] Commander of Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon "Großdeutschland"[61][78] 000000001945-02-24-000024 February 1945[78]
754 Rohr, Hans-Babo vonHans-Babo von Rohr Heer 12-HLeutnant[Note 9] Leader of the 2./Panzer-Regiment 25[38][79] 000000001945-02-24-000024 February 1945*[38] Died of wounds 15 February 1945[38]
755 Krag, Ernst-AugustErnst-August Krag Waffen-SS 15-WSS-Sturmbannführer[80] Commander of SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2 "Das Reich"[79][80] 000000001945-02-28-000028 February 1945[80]
756 Schmelzer, HeinrichHeinrich Schmelzer Waffen-SS 14-WSS-Hauptsturmführer of the Reserves[81] Chief of the 1./SS-Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 2 "Das Reich"[79][Note 10] 000000001945-02-28-000028 February 1945[81]
757 Kempas, TraugottTraugott Kempas Heer 14-HHauptmann[82] Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 176[79][82] 000000001945-02-28-000028 February 1945[82]
758 Kullmer, ArthurArthur Kullmer Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[83] Commander of the 558. Volksgrenadier-Division[79][83] 000000001945-02-28-000028 February 1945[83]
759 Possinger, MichaelMichael Pössinger Heer 15-HMajor[84] Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 1123[79][84] 000000001945-02-28-000028 February 1945[84]
760 Pollmann, OthmarOthmar Pollmann Heer 15-HMajor[85] Adjutant of the 45. Infanterie-Division[79][Note 11] 000000001945-02-28-000028 February 1945[85]
761 Baer, Bern vonBern von Baer Heer 16-HOberstleutnant im Generalstab[86] Chief of Stab/Fallschirmjäger-Panzerkorps "Hermann Göring"[79][86] 000000001945-02-28-000028 February 1945[86]
762 Reichardt, HansHans Reichardt Heer 17-HOberst[87] Commander of Kampfgruppe "Steinau" in the 408. Infanterie-Division[79][Note 12] 000000001945-03-05-00005 March 1945*[87] Killed in action 2 February 1945[87]
763 Ebeling, WernerWerner Ebeling Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[88] Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 154[79][88] 000000001945-03-05-00005 March 1945[88]
764 Niehoff, HermannHermann Niehoff+ Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[89] Commander of the 371. Infanterie-Division[79][89] 000000001945-03-05-00005 March 1945[89] Awarded (147th) Swords 26 April 1945?[Note 13]
765 Goetz, HeinrichHeinrich Götz Heer 18-HGeneralmajor[90] Commander of the 21. Infanterie-Division[79][90] 000000001945-03-05-00005 March 1945[90]
766 Bunau, Rudolf vonRudolf von Bünau Heer 20-HGeneral der Infanterie[91] Commanding general of the XI. Armeekorps[79][91] 000000001945-03-05-00005 March 1945[91]
767 Karczewski, BrunoBruno Karczewski Heer 15-HMajor[92] Leader of Grenadier-Regiment 176[79][92] 000000001945-03-05-00005 March 1945[92]
768 Schneider, Dipl.-Ing. ErichDipl.-Ing. Erich Schneider Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[93] Commander of the 14. Infanterie-Division[79][93] 000000001945-03-06-00006 March 1945[93]
769 Welter, KurtKurt Welter Luftwaffe 13-LOberleutnant[94] Staffelkapitän of the 10./Nachtjagdgeschwader 11[79][94] 000000001945-03-11-000011 March 1945[94]
770 Renschler, HelmutHelmut Renschler Heer 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves[95] Chief of the 1./Artillerie-Regiment 5[79][95] 000000001945-03-11-000011 March 1945[95]
771 Rust, Dr. jur. WolfgangDr. jur. Wolfgang Rust Heer 14-HHauptmann[96] Commander of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 11[79][96] 000000001945-03-11-000011 March 1945[96]
772 Sixt, FriedrichFriedrich Sixt Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[97] Commander of the 5. Jäger-Division[79][97] 000000001945-03-11-000011 March 1945[97]
773 Witschel, KurtKurt Witschel Heer 13-HOberleutnant[98] Leader of the 9./Jäger-Regiment 28[79][98] 000000001945-03-11-000011 March 1945[98]
774 Betzel, ClemensClemens Betzel Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[99] Commander of the 4. Panzer-Division[99][100] 000000001945-03-11-000011 March 1945[99]
775 Rogalski, FranzFranz Rogalski Heer 12-HLeutnant of the Reserves[101] Adjutant of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 45[100][101] 000000001945-03-11-000011 March 1945[101]
776 Grimminger, JohannesJohannes Grimminger Heer 15-HMajor of the Reserves[17] Commander of the II./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 192[17][102] 000000001945-03-11-000011 March 1945[17]
777 Kutschkau, ErnstErnst Kutschkau Heer 10-HOberfeldwebel of the Reserves[103] Leader of the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 3[100][103] 000000001945-03-11-000011 March 1945[103]
778 Aghta, EgonEgon Aghta Heer 14-HHauptmann (W) of the Reserves[104] Leader of a bomb disposal commando in the Luftgaukommando III Berlin[100][104] 000000001945-03-12-000012 March 1945[104]
779 Schroeder, WilhelmWilhelm Schröder Heer 17-HOberst[105] Commander of Kampfgruppe Schröder of the 408. Infanterie-Division[100][Note 14] 000000001945-03-13-000013 March 1945[105]
780 Becker, Karl-HeinzKarl-Heinz Becker Luftwaffe 16-LOberstleutnant[106] Commander of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5[100][106] 000000001945-03-12-000012 March 1945[106]
781 Rokker, HeinzHeinz Rökker Luftwaffe 14-LHauptmann[107] Staffelkapitän of the 2./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2[100][107] 000000001945-03-12-000012 March 1945[107]
782 Weiss, RobertRobert Weiß Luftwaffe 14-LHauptmann[108] Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 54[100][108] 000000001945-03-12-000012 March 1945*[108] Killed in action 29 December 1944[108]
783 Potschke, WernerWerner Pötschke Waffen-SS 15-WSS-Sturmbannführer[84] Commander of the I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 1 "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"[84][100] 000000001945-03-15-000015 March 1945[84]
784 Matern, AlfredAlfred Matern Heer 10-HOberfeldwebel[109] Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 5./Füsilier-Regiment 22[100][109] 000000001945-03-16-000016 March 1945[109]
785 Vogt, FritzFritz Vogt Waffen-SS 14-WSS-Hauptsturmführer[110] Commander of the I./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 23 "Norge" (norw. Nr. 1)[102][110] 000000001945-03-16-000016 March 1945[110]
786 Jager, Karl-HeinzKarl-Heinz Jaeger Heer 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves[111] Leader of Grenadier-Regiment 448[100][111] 000000001945-03-16-000016 March 1945[111]
787 Wandrey, MaxMax Wandrey Heer 15-HMajor of the Reserves[112] Commander of the II./Jäger-Regiment 1 "Brandenburg"[100][112] 000000001945-03-16-000016 March 1945*[112] Died of wounds on 21 February 1945[112]
788 Engelien, HansHans Engelien Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[113] Commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25[100][113] 000000001945-03-16-000016 March 1945[113]
789 Ruhl, HeinrichHeinrich Ruhl Heer 15-HMajor[47] Commander of Füsilier-Bataillon (A.A.) 122[47][100] 000000001945-03-16-000016 March 1945[47]
790 Frankewitz, BrunoBruno Frankewitz Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[114] Commander of the 215. Infanterie-Division[114][115] 000000001945-03-16-000016 March 1945[114]
791 Scheuerpflug, PaulPaul Scheuerpflug Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[116] Commander of the 68. Infanterie-Division[115][116] 000000001945-03-16-000016 March 1945[116]
792 Becker, MartinMartin Becker Luftwaffe 14-LHauptmann[Note 15] Gruppenkommandeur of the IV./Nachtjagdgeschwader 6[106][115] 000000001945-03-20-000020 March 1945[106]
793 Werner, GerhardGerhard Werner Heer 15-HMajor[117] Commander of the I./Jäger-Regiment 734[115][117] 000000001945-03-23-000023 March 1945*[117] Killed in action 8 September 1944[117]
794 Kedzia, Ernst-GeorgErnst-Georg Kedzia Heer 15-HMajor[118] Combat commander of Fürstenberg an der Oder and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 98 (391. Sicherungs-Division)[119][Note 16] 000000001945-03-23-000023 March 1945[118]
795 Meyer, Kuno vonKuno von Meyer Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[120] Commander of Panzer-Regiment "Coburg" in the Panzer-Brigade 103[115][120] 000000001945-03-23-000023 March 1945[120]
796 Pruss, WalterWalter Prüß Heer 13-HOberleutnant[121] Chief of the 8./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 76[115][121] 000000001945-03-23-000023 March 1945[121]
797 Konopacki, GüntherGünther Konopacki Heer 14-HRittmeister[122] Commander of the I./Radfahr-Jäger-Brigade 10[115][122] 000000001945-03-23-000023 March 1945[122]
798 Herzog, Hans-GeorgHans-Georg Herzog Heer 16-HOberstleutnant of the Reserves[18] Commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 14[18][115] 000000001945-03-23-000023 March 1945[18]
799 Trittel, RudolfRudolf Trittel Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[123] Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 9[115][123] 000000001945-03-23-000023 March 1945[123]
800 Wanka, KarlKarl Wanka Heer 15-HMajor of the Reserves[112] Commander of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 53[112][115] 000000001945-03-23-000023 March 1945[112]
801 Elverfeldt, Harald Freiherr vonHarald Freiherr von Elverfeldt Heer 18-HGeneralmajor[124] Commander of the 9. Panzer-Division[115][124] 000000001945-03-23-000023 March 1945*[124] Killed in action 6 March 1945[124]
802 Jeckeln, FriedrichFriedrich Jeckeln Waffen-SS 20-WSS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SS[57] Commanding general of the V. SS-Gebirgskorps[57][115] 000000001945-03-08-00008 March 1945[57]
803 Fullriede, FritzFritz Fullriede Heer 17-HOberst[125] Fortress commander of Kolberg[115][125] 000000001945-03-23-000023 March 1945[125]
804 Spielmann, JohannesJohannes Spielmann Heer 15-HMajor[43] Commander of Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 202[43][115] 000000001945-03-28-000028 March 1945[43]
805 Keese, HeinrichHeinrich Keese Heer 15-HMajor of the Reserves[118] Commander of Pionier-Bataillon 20 (mot.)[115][118] 000000001945-03-28-000028 March 1945[118]
806 Berger, LotharLothar Berger Heer 17-HOberst[126] Commander of Brigade z.b.V. 100[115][126] 000000001945-03-28-000028 March 1945[126]
807 Hufenbach, HelmuthHelmuth Hufenbach Heer 17-HOberst[127] Leader of the 562. Volksgrenadier-Division[115][127] 000000001945-03-28-000028 March 1945*[127] Killed in action 27 March 1945[127]
808 Schroedter, ErichErich Schroedter Heer 14-HRittmeister[105] Commander of Panzer-Augklärungs-Abteilung "Großdeutschland"[105][119] 000000001945-03-28-000028 March 1945[105]
809 Usedom, Horst vonHorst von Usedom Heer 17-HOberst[128] Leader of Panzer-Brigade "Kurland"[115][128] 000000001945-03-28-000028 March 1945[128]
810 Josten, GüntherGünther Josten Luftwaffe 13-LOberleutnant[129] Staffelkapitän of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"[129][130] 000000001945-03-28-000028 March 1945[129]
811 Glaser, AlexanderAlexander Gläser Luftwaffe 14-LHauptmann[131] Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Schlachtgeschwader 77[130][131] 000000001945-03-28-000028 March 1945[131]
812 Stahler, WilhelmWilhelm Stähler Luftwaffe 13-LOberleutnant[132] Staffelkapitän of the 7./Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"[130][132] 000000001945-03-28-000028 March 1945[132]
813 Studemann, GerhardGerhard Stüdemann Luftwaffe 14-LHauptmann[133] Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Schlachtgeschwader 77[130][133] 000000001945-03-28-000028 March 1945[133]
814 Girg, WalterWalter Girg Waffen-SS 14-WSS-Hauptsturmführer[131] Leader of special detachment of the SS-Jagdverband Mitte[130][131] 000000001945-04-01-00001 April 1945[131]
815 Mellenthin, Horst vonHorst von Mellenthin Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[134] Commander of the 205. Infanterie-Division[130][134] 000000001945-04-04-00004 April 1945[134]
816 Steglich, MartinMartin Steglich Heer 15-HMajor[135] Leader of Grenadier-Regiment 1221[130][135] 000000001945-04-05-00005 April 1945[135]
817 Neubert, RudolfRudolf Neubert Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[136] Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 31[130][136] 000000001945-04-05-00005 April 1945[136]
818 Richter, FriedrichFriedrich Richter Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[137] Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 1222[130][137] 000000001945-04-05-00005 April 1945[137]
819 Kuppinger, ErnstErnst Kuppinger Heer 14-HHauptmann[138] Commander of Füsilier-Bataillon 246[130][Note 17] 000000001945-04-05-00005 April 1945[138]
820 Paetsch, OttoOtto Paetsch Waffen-SS 16-WSS-Obersturmbannführer[139] Commander of SS-Panzer-Regiment 10 "Frundsberg"[130][139] 000000001945-04-05-00005 April 1945*[139] Killed in action 16 March 1945[139]
821 Tettau, Hans vonHans von Tettau Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[140] Leader of Korpsgruppe "von Tettau"[130][140] 000000001945-04-05-00005 April 1945[140]
822 Thyben, GerhardGerhard Thyben Luftwaffe 13-LOberleutnant[141] Staffelkapitän of the 7./Jagdgeschwader 54[130][141] 000000001945-04-08-00008 April 1945[141]
823 Burchardi, TheodorTheodor Burchardi Kriegsmarine 20-MAdmiral[142] Commanding Admiral östliche Ostsee (Eastern Baltic Sea)[130][142] 000000001945-04-08-00008 April 1945[142]
824 Thiele, AugustAugust Thiele Kriegsmarine 19-MVizeadmiral[143] Commander of Kampfgruppe "Thiele"[130][143] 000000001945-04-08-00008 April 1945[143]
825 Richter, BrunoBruno Richter Heer 14-HRittmeister[144] Commander of Füsilier-Bataillon (A.A.) 24[130][144] 000000001945-04-08-00008 April 1945[144]
826 Skorzeny, Dipl.-Ing. OttoDipl.-Ing. Otto Skorzeny Waffen-SS 16-WSS-Obersturmbannführer of the Reserves[97] Commander of the SS-Jagd-Verbände and combat commander of Schwedt an der Oder[97][130] 000000001945-04-09-00009 April 1945[97]
827 Krosigk, Ernst-Anton vonErnst-Anton von Krosigk Heer 20-HGeneral der Infanterie[145] Commanding of the XVI. Armeekorps[130][145] 000000001945-04-12-000012 April 1945*[145] Killed in action 16 March 1945[145]
828 Borchardt, HelmutHelmut Borchardt Heer 10-HOberfeldwebel[146] Leader of the company "Borchardt" of the regiment "Kohlmann" in the 402. Infanterie-Division[130][146] 000000001945-04-14-000014 April 1945*[146] Killed in action 15–18 March 1945[Note 18]
829 Becker, CarlCarl Becker Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[147] Commander of the 253. Infanterie-Division[130][147] 000000001945-04-14-000014 April 1945[147]
830 Ropke, KurtKurt Röpke Heer 20-HGeneral der Infanterie[107] Commanding general of the XXIX. Armeekorps[107][130] 000000001945-04-14-000014 April 1945[107]
831 Rogelein, FriedrichFriedrich Rögelein Heer 17-HOberst[148] Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 109[130][148] 000000001945-04-14-000014 April 1945[148]
832 Simm, AlfredAlfred Simm Heer 14-HHauptmann[149] Leader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 31[149][150] 000000001945-04-14-000014 April 1945[149]
833 Raht, GerhardGerhard Raht Luftwaffe 14-LHauptmann[151] Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2[150][151] 000000001945-04-15-000015 April 1945[151]
834 Ostermeier, Hans-ArnoHans-Arno Ostermeier Heer 15-HMajor of the Reserves[56] Leader of Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 "Hermann Göring"[150][Note 19] 000000001945-04-15-000015 April 1945[56]
835 Hansen, MaxMax Hansen Waffen-SS 16-WSS-Obersturmbannführer[152] Commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"[150][152] 000000001945-04-17-000017 April 1945[152]
836 Lütje, HerbertHerbert Lütje Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[153] Geschwaderkommodore of Nachtjagdgeschwader 6[150][153] 000000001945-04-17-000017 April 1945[153]
837 Lipfert, HelmutHelmut Lipfert Luftwaffe 14-LHauptmann[154] Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 53[150][154] 000000001945-04-17-000017 April 1945[154]
838 Kraft, JosefJosef Kraft Luftwaffe 14-LHauptmann[80] Staffelkapitän of the 12./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1[80][150] 000000001945-04-17-000017 April 1945[80]
839 Drewes, MartinMartin Drewes Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[155] Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1[150][155] 000000001945-04-17-000017 April 1945[155]
840 Greiner, HermannHermann Greiner Luftwaffe 14-LHauptmann[156] Gruppenkommandeur of the IV./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1[150][156] 000000001945-04-17-000017 April 1945[156]
841 Semrau, PaulPaul Semrau Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[157] Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2[150][157] 000000001945-04-17-000017 April 1945*[157] Killed in action 8 February 1945[157]
842 Raegener, AdolfAdolf Raegener Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[151] Commander of Verteidigungsbereich Magdeburg (defensive sector of Magdeburg)[150][151] 000000001945-04-17-000017 April 1945[151]
843 Knaust, Hans-PeterHans-Peter Knaust Heer 16-HOberstleutnant[158] Commander of Regiment "Knaust" in the 490. Infanterie-Division[150][Note 20] 000000001945-04-17-000017 April 1945[158]
843* !Last officially announced number
844 !(844) Hack, FranzFranz Hack?[Note 21] Waffen-SS 16-WSS-Obersturmbannführer Commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 "Westland"[150] 000000001945-04-18-000018 April 1945
845 !(845) Kausch, Paul-AlbertPaul-Albert Kausch?[Note 22] Waffen-SS 16-WSS-Obersturmbannführer Commander of SS-Panzer-Regiment 11[150] 000000001945-04-23-000023 April 1945
846 !(846) Brandner, JosefJosef Brandner?[Note 23] Heer 15-HMajor Commander of Heeres-Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 912[150] 000000001945-04-26-000026 April 1945
847 !(847) Rodt, EberhardEberhard Rodt Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant[148] Commander of the 15. Panzergrenadier-Division[148][150] 000000001945-04-28-000028 April 1945[148]
848 !(848) Ziegler, JoachimJoachim Ziegler Waffen-SS 18-WSS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS[162] Commander of the 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier Division "Nordland"[150][Note 24] 000000001945-04-28-000028 April 1945[162]
849 !(849) Kappis, Hans-JoachimHans-Joachim Kappis Heer 13-HOberleutnant of the Reserves[163] Leader of the II./Grenadier-Regiment 45[163][164] 000000001945-04-28-000028 April 1945[163]
850 !(850) Schrepfer, KarlKarl Schrepfer Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[165] Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Schlachtgeschwader 1[165][166] 000000001945-04-28-000028 April 1945[165]
851 !(851) Prentl, JosefJosef Prentl Luftwaffe 15-LMajor[167] Commander of Flak-Regiment 116[166][167] 000000001945-04-28-000028 April 1945[167]
852 !(852) Thomsen, RolfRolf Thomsen Kriegsmarine 14-MKapitänleutnant[168] Commander of U-1202[166][168] 000000001945-04-29-000029 April 1945[168]
853 !(853) Lange, Hans-GüntherHans-Günther Lange Kriegsmarine 14-MKapitänleutnant[169] Commander of U-711[166][169] 000000001945-04-29-000029 April 1945[169]
854 !(854) Laebe, Heinz-OskarHeinz-Oskar Laebe?[Note 25] Heer 17-HOberst Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 44[166] 000000001945-04-29-000029 April 1945
855 !(855) Hax, HeinrichHeinrich Hax Heer 18-HGeneralmajor[171] Commander of the 8. Panzer-Division[166][171] 000000001945-04-30-000030 April 1945[171]
856 !(856) Laengenfelder, HannsHanns Laengenfelder Heer 18-HGeneralmajor[172] Commander of the 15. Infanterie-Division[166][172] 000000001945-04-30-000030 April 1945[172]
857 !(857) Daniel, RichardRichard Daniel Heer 18-HGeneralmajor[173] Commander of the 45. Volksgrenadier-Division[166][173] 000000001945-04-30-000030 April 1945[173]
858 !(858) Obstfelder, Wolfgang vonWolfgang von Obstfelder Heer 15-HMajor[174] Commander of Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 346[166][174] 000000001945-04-30-000030 April 1945[174]
859 !(859) Bostell, Wolfgang vonWolfgang von Bostell Heer 12-HLeutnant[175] Zugführer (platoon leader) in the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 205[166][Note 26] 000000001945-04-30-000030 April 1945[175]
860 !(860) Mokros, GerhardGerhard Mokros Heer 17-HOberst of the Reserves[Note 27] Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 423[166][176] 000000001945-05-05-00005 May 1945[176]
861 !(861) Ostendorff, WernerWerner Ostendorff?[Note 28] Waffen-SS 19-WSS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS Commander of the 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich"[166] 000000001945-05-06-00006 May 1945* Died of wounds 1 May 1945[10]
862 !(862) Lehmann, RudolfRudolf Lehmann?[Note 29] Waffen-SS 17-WSS-Standartenführer Leader of the 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich"[166] 000000001945-05-06-00006 May 1945
863 !(863) Kreutz, KarlKarl Kreutz?[Note 30] Waffen-SS 17-WSS-Standartenführer Commander of SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 2 "Das Reich"[166] 000000001945-05-06-00006 May 1945
864 !(864) Werner, HeinzHeinz Werner?[Note 31] Waffen-SS 15-WSS-Sturmbannführer Commander of the III./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 4 "Der Führer"[164] 000000001945-05-06-00006 May 1945
865 !(865) Jodl, AlfredAlfred Jodl?[Note 32] Heer 21-HGeneraloberst Chef des Wehrmachtführungsstabes im OKW and deputy chief of the OKW[164] 000000001945-05-10-000010 May 1945
866 !(866) Blanc, Adalbert vonAdalbert von Blanc?[Note 33] Kriegsmarine 16-MFregattenkapitän Leader of the 9. Marine-Sicherungs-Division[166] 000000001945-05-10-000010 May 1945
867 !(867) Plocher, HermannHermann Plocher?[Note 34] Luftwaffe 19-HGeneralleutnant Commander of the 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division[166] 000000001945-05-08-00008 May 1945
868 !(868) Graßmel, FranzFranz Graßmel?[Note 35] Luftwaffe 15-LMajor Commander of the Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 20[166] 000000001945-05-08-00008 May 1945
869 !(869) Lier, FriedrichFriedrich Lier?[Note 36] Heer 16-HOberstleutnant Commander of a Kampfgruppe in the 490. Infanterie-Division[166] 000000001945-05-08-00008 May 1945
870 !(870) Dennhardt, Oskar-HubertOskar-Hubert Dennhardt?[Note 37] Heer 15-HMajor Leader of Grenadier-Regiment 1143[166] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
871 !(871) Kleinheisterkamp, MatthiasMatthias Kleinheisterkamp?[Note 38] Waffen-SS 20-WSS-Obergruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS Commanding general of the XI. SS-Panzerkorps[186] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945* Killed in action 29 April 1945[187][Note 39]
872 !(872) Lohmann, Hanns-HeinrichHanns-Heinrich Lohmann?[Note 40] Waffen-SS 16-WSS-Obersturmbannführer Leader of SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 49 "De Ruyter"[188] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
873 !(873) Montag, AlfredAlfred Montag?[Note 41] Heer 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves Leader of Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 341[186] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
874 !(874) Meier, HansHans Meier?[Note 42] Heer 14-HHauptmann Commander of the I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment 74[186] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
875 !(875) Rebane, AlfonsAlfons Rebane?[Note 43] Waffen-SS 16-WWaffen-Obersturmbannführer Commander of Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment der Waffen-SS 46 (estnische Nr. 2)[188] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
876 !(876) Schlags-Koch, WalterWalter Schlags-Koch?[Note 44] Heer 16-HOberstleutnant of the Reserves Commander of Sturm-Regiment AOK 2[186] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
877 !(877) Schmidt, ErichErich Schmidt?[Note 45] Heer 15-HMajor Leader of the Panzer-Regiment of the Führer-Grenadier-Division[188] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
878 !(878) Siegroth, Joachim vonJoachim von Siegroth?[Note 46] Heer 18-HGeneralmajor Commander of the 712. Infanterie-Division[188] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945* Killed in action 2 May 1945[196]
879 !(879) Stahl, Dr. jur. PaulDr. jur. Paul Stahl?[Note 47] Heer 17-HOberst of the Reserves Commander of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 114[188] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
880 !(880) Störck, GeorgGeorg Störck?[Note 48] Heer 14-HHauptmann of the Reserves Commander of the I./Panzergrenadier-Regiment Führer-Begleit-Division[186] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
881 !(881) Sensfuß, FranzFranz Sensfuß?[Note 49] Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant Commander of the 212. Infanterie-Division[188] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
882 !(882) Radowitz, Joseph vonJoseph von Radowitz?[Note 50] Heer 19-HGeneralleutnant Commander of 23. Panzer-Division[188] 000000001945-05-09-00009 May 1945
↑ For an explanation of the various naming schemes used by the Luftwaffe, Heer, Kriegsmarine and Waffen-SS refer to nomenclature used by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS.
↑ According to Scherzer as SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS and the Reserves.[26]
↑ According to Scherzer as leader of a Kampfgruppe in the 271. Volksgenadier-Division in Budapest (Grenadier-Regiment 978).[33]
↑ According to Scherzer as SS-Obersturmbannführer.[39]
↑ According to Scherzer as Commander of the SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 17.[45]
↑ According to Scherzer as commander of Flak-Regiment (motorized) 12.[51]
↑ According to Scherzer as commander of the Luftkriegsschule 5 Breslau and leader of a Kampfgruppe of the Luftkriegsschule 5 in the fortress Breslau.[72]
↑ According to Scherzer as Hauptmann and not as Hauptmann of the Reserves.[78]
↑ According to Scherzer as Leutnant of the Reserves.[38]
↑ According to Scherzer as chief of the 1./SS-Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 2.[81]
↑ According to Scherzer as leader of Grenadier-Regiment 279 and IIa (1st Adjutant—personnel administration for officers) of the 95. Infanterie-Division.[85]
↑ According to Scherzer as commander of Kampfgruppe "Steinau" in the Division-Nummer 408.[87]
↑ No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. The Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) only assumes that the Swords were awarded. According to Niehoff's testimony he was nominated by Gauleiter Karl Hanke. The date and sequential number "147" were assigned by the AKCR. Niehoff was a member of the AKCR.[10]
↑ According to Scherzer as commander of Kampfgruppe Schröder of the Division-Nummer 408.[105]
↑ According to Scherzer as Hauptmann of the Reserves.[106]
↑ According to Scherzer as combat commander of Fürstenberg an der Oder and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 98 (Divisions-Stab z.b.V. 391).[118]
↑ According to Scherzer as commander of Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 246.[138]
↑ According to Scherzer Helmut Borchardt was killed in action in the timeframe 15 to 18 March 1945 in the vicinity of Küstrin.[146]
↑ According to Scherzer as leader of the Assault Battalion of Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 3 "Hermann Göring".[56]
↑ According to Scherzer as commander of Regiment "Knaust" (Divisions Nr. 490).[158]
↑ The recommendation for Franz Hack's Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross was submitted to the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) by the Division sometime between 16 and 19 April 1945 and approved by the commander of the IV. SS-Korps Herbert Otto Gille. Missing is the approval from the 6. Armee and Heeresgruppe Süd. There is no indication whether the recommendation was approved. The response from the Reichsführer-SS was prepared but missing is a date and signature. The existing card is not contemporary. There is no indication in the press that the award was presented. According to Fellgiebel Hack received the Oak Leaves from SS-Obergruppenführer and General of the SS Herbert-Otto Gille, commanding general IV. SS-Panzerkorps. The sequential number "844" and date of award were assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR).[159]
↑ No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. Fellgiebel claimed that Paul-Albert Kausch, at the time wounded in the Reich Chancellery, had received news that according to a radio message received from Panzer AOK 11 had been awarded the Oak Leaves on 23 April 1945 from SS-Brigadeführer Joachim Ziegler. Kausch's division commander Ziegler was killed in action on 1 May 1945. Ernst-Günther Krätschmer, however, indicated that Kausch was wounded on 25 April and as such he therefore could not have received the news that day. The 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland was only subordinated to the 11th Panzer Armee in February 1945. The Stab of the 11th Panzer Army then relocated to the Western Front where it surrendered on 21 April. Krätschmer claimed that the award was presented for the actions during the middle of April east of Berlin. Mr. J.S. Fischer, who was verifying the Oak Leaves presentation on behalf of Fellgiebel, is not aware of a radio message received from the Panzer AOK 11. Fischer indicated that he only referenced the information presented by Kausch, which is already stated in Krätschmer. According to information by Fischer on 14 October 2004, Fellgiebel had made the note about the Panzer AOK 11. The sequential number "845" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR)—according to Krätschmer the number is "846"—the date was accepted by the AKCR. Kausch was a member of the AKCR.[160]
↑ No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. According to Josef Brandner's own account he received the Oak Leaves from the commanding general of the XXXVIII. Armeekorps, General der Artillerie Kurt Herzog in the Courland Pocket. He did not mention a date for the presentation. Presumably pictures showing him with Oak Leaves exist. The Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) assumes a direct presentation from Berlin. The presentation date is also an assumption by the AKCR. A presentation of the Oak Leaves only four to five weeks after the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross is very unlikely. The German Federal Archives holds numerous records of nominations which have been rejected on the grounds that a high-ranking military award had just been presented. Brandner was a member of the AKCR.[161]
↑ According to Scherzer at the same time commander of defensive sector C (south east) in Berlin.[162]
↑ Heinz-Oskar Laebe's nomination was prepared for signature by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) by the end of the war. According to the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The presentation date is an assumption of the AKCR. Laebe was a member of the AKCR.[170]
↑ According to Scherzer as leader of the 2./Panzerjäger-Abteilung 205.[175]
↑ According to Scherzer as Oberstleutnant of the Reserves.[176]
↑ No evidence of the award to Werner Ostendorff can be found in the German Federal Archives. The award was unlawfully presented by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich. The date is taken from the announcement made by the 6. SS-Panzerarmee. The sequential number "861" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR).[177]
↑ No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. The award was unlawfully presented by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich. The date is taken from the announcement made by the 6. SS-Panzerarmee. The sequential number "862" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Lehmann was a member of the AKCR.[178]
↑ No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. The award was unlawfully presented by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich. The date is taken from the announcement made by the 6. SS-Panzerarmee. The sequential number "863" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Karl Kreutz was a member of the AKCR.[170]
↑ No evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. The award was unlawfully presented by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich. The date is taken from the announcement made by the 6. SS-Panzerarmee. The sequential number "864" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Werner was a member of the AKCR.[178]
↑ The award was unlawfully presented on 10 May 1945. The sequential number "865" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR).[179]
↑ There is no reference that the Oak Leaves were awarded to Adalbert von Blanc in the German Federal Archives. His personal file contains a letter from Admiral August Thiele indicating that von Blanc had been recommended for the Oak Leaves by Thiele. In a file of the German Minenräumdienst dated just after the capitulation is an entry "Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves" without indicating a date of the award. The sequential number "866" and date were assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Von Blanc was a member of the AKCR.[180]
↑ Hermann Plocher's nomination had been finalized by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) and was ready for signature by the end of the war. According to the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The presentation date was assigned by Fellgiebel. Plocher was a member of the AKCR.[181]
↑ The original nomination was not retained. The Oberbefehlshaber Nordwest (OB Nordwest—Commander-in-chief North-West) had sent the nomination to the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe/Auszeichnung und Disziplin (OKL/AuD—Air Force High Command/Award and Discipline). The accompanying letter is presented by Franz Thomas, author of Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945, Teil II Die Ritterkreuzträger der Fallschirmjäger, Osnabrück 1986, page 88. No further information prevailed. A presentation cannot be verified. The Order Commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) processed this case in 1974 and decided: 868th Oak Leaves, 8 May 1945. According to the AKCR the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The sequential number "868" and date were assigned by the AKCR. Franz Graßmel is listed by the OB Nordwest for the "Nomination for the presentation of war awards" in May 1945. This list, which was to be presented to Karl Dönitz, holds 12 names. These nominations had all been submitted by the OB Nordwest via the command chain and must be considered not finalized. Dönitz has never signed this list and most likely has never seen this list. Graßmel was a member of the AKCR.[182]
↑ The OB Nordwest (Commander-in-chief North-West) submitted five approved nominations to the Führungsstab "A" (OKW/WFSt—Oberkommando der Wehrmacht/Wehrmacht-Führungsstab—leadership staff of the Army High Command) on 2 May 1945. Four of these nominations were submitted via teleprinter, these were Friedrich Anding, Heinz Lotze, (Johann-)Nepomuk Stützle and Gustav Walle, and Friedrich Lier's nomination for the Oak Leaves via messenger. The reason for why not all five nominations had been submitted via teleprinter is that Anding had destroyed six or more enemy tanks in close combat. The prerequisites of Führeranordnung (Führer decree) of 7 March 1945 had therefore been met and no further explanation or details were needed. Scherzer assumes that this must have been different in Lier's case and more details describing his actions including drawings had been created. This type of nomination was difficult to submit via teleprinter and a messenger was sent. This nomination was never received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office). Lier is not listed on the list of awarded Knight's Crosses, which in some cases was also used as a nomination entry list, the other four nominations are listed. Also missing is the original nomination, the teleprinters on the other hand have prevailed. A nomination, which was never received, cannot be judged. A presentation cannot be proven. The Order Commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) processed this case in 1975 on behalf of a relative of Lier and decided: 869th Oak Leaves yes, 8 May 1945. The sequential number and date were assigned by the AKCR. Lier was a member of the AKCR. Lier never received news about the Oak Leaves presentation before he died on 18 August 1974.[183]
↑ Major Joachim Domaschk, who processed the nomination at the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) from the troop, had sent a message to the AOK Ostpreußen on 28 March 1945 requesting an approval from the Armeekorps and the Armee. This approval was never received before the end of hostilities. Oskar-Hubert Dennhardt is not listed in the book for the "nominations for the higher grades of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross" nor in the nomination book for Knight's Cross (starting with Nr. 5100). According to the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The sequential number "870" and the presentation date were assigned by the AKCR. Dennhardt was a member of the AKCR.[184]
↑ Fellgiebel claims that the nomination was received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) via teleprinter from the commander-in-chief of the 9. Armee, general Theodor Busse, on 21 April 1945. Busse had nominated SS-Obergruppenführer Kleinheisterkamp for the Oak Leaves. The claim is that the teleprinter message contained a note that the formal procedure for immediate approval should be waited for (Dienstwegvorschlag bzgl. Sofortverleihung abwarten). This teleprinter message cannot be found in the German Nation Archives (Bestand RH 7). Busse had also nominated by teleprint Generalmajor Joachim von Siegroth on 21 April. This teleprinter message can be found in the Nation Archives (Bundesarchiv RH 7/300). According to Fellgiebel the same note can be found on von Siegroth's nomination. This means that a formal nomination, in this instance via the Army Group Vistula, followed. Both announced "formal nominations" never followed and were never received by the HPA. The teleprinter nomination of von Siegroth is listed in the book of "Verliehene Ritterkreuze" (Awarded Knight Crosses) with an entry date of 21 April but Kleinheisterkamp's nomination is not. The reason for this may be that the liaison officer of the Waffen-SS at the HPA/P5a may have forwarded the nomination to the Reichsführer-SS for approval. From here it should have been returned to the HPA which it was not. The distribution list of von Siegroth's nomination indicates that general Busse had informed the Army Group Vistula and the chief of the HPA general Wilhelm Burgdorf. It is very likely that Kleinheisterkamp's nomination had the same distribution list as von Siegroth's, because the same principles applied. Burgdorf therefore should have been informed of the formal procedure regarding Kleinheisterkamp's nomination. The question remains unanswered whether the Führer Headquarter or Adolf Hitler has approved the direct nomination of Kleinheisterkamp on 28 April or not. Scherzer claims that this is very unlikely because Burgdorf would not have done two things. First, submit a nomination to the Führer without having assessed the situation himself, which only would have been possible if he had studied the formal paperwork. Secondly he would not have bypassed the formal procedure which was already initiated. Additionally the radio connection to the Führerbunker was down since 5:00 on 28 April 1945. The sequential number "871" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) and the date is assumed.[185]
↑ According to Fellgiebel on 2 May 1945 in the Battle of Halbe.[188]
↑ The nomination was received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) from the troop on 25 March 1945 and was approved by the commanding general of the III. (germ.) SS-Panzerkorps. Missing is the approval from the commander-in-chief of the 11. Armee, Army Group Vistula and from the Reichsführer-SS. The HPA created a formal nomination without a sequential number on 27 March 1945. Both nominations are retained in the Nation Archives. Both nominations give no information whether the nomination was approved and whether the Oak Leaves had been awarded. The nomination list of the higher grade of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves only dates the nomination entry on 25 March 1945. The Order Commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) processed this case in 1974 and decided: yes, 872nd Oak Leaves. According to the AKCR the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The sequential number "872" and date were assigned by the AKCR. Lohmann was a member of the AKCR.[189]
↑ The nomination was received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) from the troop on 28 April 1945 and approved by the Corps and by the OB West. Missing is a statement by the Army and by the Army Group (Heeresruppe). Major Joachim Domaschk decided "Oak Leaves yes" but deferred. Heeresgruppe B—the Sturmgeschütz-Brigade had already surrendered together with the Heeresgruppe B in the Ruhr Pocket. The nomination was therefore left unfinished according to AHA 44 Ziff. 572. The nomination list of the higher grade of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves confirms the entry of 28 March 1945. Noted here is a comment indicating "deferred". A formal presentation has not happened. The sequential number "868" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). The presentation date was assigned by Fellgiebel. Alfred Montag was a member of the AKCR.[190]
↑ Hans Meier's nomination for the Oak Leaves was received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) from the troop on 12 April 1945 and approved by all intermittent commanding officers. No further comments or indications of approval have been noted and left unfinished by the end of the war. A non contemporary file card notes an entry date 17 March 1945 which could be the nomination date of the troop. The nomination list for the higher grades of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross indicates an entry date 12 April 1945, no further date is listed. A comment states: "Unfinished". According to the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The sequential number "874" was assigned by the AKCR, the presentation date by Fellgiebel.[191]
↑ Alfons Rebane's nomination was submitted to the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) on 12 April 1945. The German Federal Archives only hold a copy of the nomination. There is no indication or remark that the nomination was processed. The nomination list for the higher grade of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves dates the nomination on 2 April 1945. This list also gives no indication that the nomination had been processed. The Order Commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) processed this case in 1974 and decided: 875th Oak Leaves on 8 May 1945. The sequential number "875" was assigned by the AKCR, the date was later changed by Fellgiebel to 9 May 1945. Rebane was a member of the AKCR.[192]
↑ The Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) received Walter Schlags-Koch's nomination via wireless communication on 6 April 1945. Major Joachim Domaschk requested via wireless communication the advisory opinion of the 2. Armee. Presumably this statement was not received yet on 28 April because Domaschk decided to postpone the decision and ordered the re-presentation for 8 May, which was never processed. The entry date for the wireless nomination of 6 April 1945 is noted on the nomination list of the higher grade of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. However no other date is listed, the section comments states "unprocessed". The Order Commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) processed this case in 1973 and decided: "877 Oak Leaves". Scherzer claims that this decision was not approved by Gerhard von Seemann—author of various publications regarding the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross—since Schlags-Koch is not listed as an Oak Leaves recipient in his book Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 (2nd edition from 1976). The presentation number was later changed by Walther-Peer Fellgiebel to "876". However, Schlags-Koch is listed by Von Seemen as the 876th Oak Leaves recipient. The presentation date was assigned by Fellgiebel. Schlags-Koch was a member of the AKCR.[193][194]
↑ The Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) received Erich Schmidt's nomination on 24 March 1945. Major Joachim Domaschk noted three days later: "Insufficient for the Oak Leaves!". Nevertheless an HAP entry nomination without nomination number was created on 29 March and presented to General Wilhelm Burgdorf. Burgdorf noted on 31 March: "Request advisory opinion from the commanding general!" and returned the nomination to the HPA. Major Domaschk requested via teleprinter the statement of the XXXIX. Panzerkorps. The Panzerkorps answered on 5 April via teleprinter that they are not responsible since the respective division was only subordinated to the corps for a very short time and never in action. Domaschk then requested the advisory opinion from the LVII. Panzerkorps on 8 April, which was not received by 28 April. On this day Domaschk noted "Wait" and ordered the re-presentation for 5 May. The nomination remained unprocessed after this date. The nomination list of the higher grade of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves notes the entry date of 24 March and that the nomination was forwarded to General Burgdorf on 29 March 1945. A presentation date is not stated and a comment says "further enquiry". The Order Commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) processed this case in 1982 and decided: "Oak Leaves yes, 9 May 1945". It appears that the AKCR had questioned a witness, the former adjutant of the Army to the Commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht Willy Johannmeyer, he wrote to the AKCR on 29 March 1968: "By all means, I cannot remember a pick-up of the Oak Leaves for Mr Oberleutnant Erich Schmidt". The presentation number "876" was assigned by the AKCR. The presentation date was assigned by Fellgiebel. Schmidt was a member of the AKCR.[194]
↑ The Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) received Joachim von Siegroth's nomination for the Oak Leaves from the commander-in-chief of the 9. Armee Theodor Busse via teleprinter message on 21 April 1945 announcing that a detailed statement with explanations will follow. This nomination went to the chief of the HPA in Berlin and to the Army Group Vistula. Major Joachim Domaschk noted on 28 April: "Waiting for announced statement!". The nomination list of the higher grade of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves notes the entry date of 19 March 1945. This is the date when the nomination was sent. An almost unreadable comment states "Waiting". According to Fellgiebel a note claims "service proposal regarding immediate presentation pending".[195] Scherzer does not confirm this entry but states that a comment "Waiting for announced statement" is noted instead. No further comments indicate that the nomination was further processed. According to the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The presentation number "876" was assigned by the AKCR. The presentation date was assigned by Fellgiebel.[196]
↑ The Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) received Dr.-jur. Paul Stahl's nomination for the Oak Leaves with the approval of the II. SS-Panzerkorps via letter on 12 April 1945. The HPA then again received the nomination, this time as a teleprinter message, together with the approval of Army Group South with the comment: "Waiting for statement of the 6. Armee, will be handed in later. Supreme command Army Group South". Major Joachim Domaschk noted: "Waiting for Panzer AOK 6 statement!". No further comments regarding the presentation or work in progress have been noted. Stahl is not listed on the nomination list of the higher grade of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves nor in the nomination book for Knight's Cross (starting with Nr. 5100). The Order Commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) processed this case in 1975 and decided: "879th Oak Leaves, 9 May 1945". According to the AKCR the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The presentation number "879" was assigned by the AKCR. The presentation date was assigned by Fellgiebel. Stahl was a member of the AKCR.[197]
↑ The Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) received Georg Störck's nomination for the Oak Leaves, which had been sent on 18 February 1945, via teleprinter message on 26 February 1945. Major Joachim Domaschk requested on 3 March via teleprinter message from the nominating Führer-Begleit Division a detailed statement regarding the actions leading to the nomination. This statement was received by the HPA via the AOK 17 on 9 March. Major Domaschk approved this nomination on 10 March, indicating "Oak Leaves yes". Another nomination, bypassing the official command chain, was also submitted directly to the Führer's Adjutant of the Wehrmacht. This nomination was also submitted for official processing to the HPA on 11 March, where it arrived on 13 March. Domaschk then revoked his earlier decision and stated: "Insufficient explanatory statement, Requesting more details!". No further comments regarding the presentation or work in progress have been noted. The nomination list of the higher grade of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves indicates an entry date of 2 March 1945. Also noted is forwarding date of the Führer on 11 March. A presentation date is not stated. A comment indicating "Unfinished" was noted. Major Domaschk apparently halted the approval process on 13 March and was waiting for further clarifying information. It appears that this information never arrived before the end of the war. The Order Commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) processed this case in 1978 and decided: "Oak Leaves yes, 9 May 1945". According to the AKCR the award was presented in accordance with the Dönitz-decree. This is illegal according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and lacks legal justification. The presentation number "880" was assigned by the AKCR. The presentation date was assigned by Fellgiebel. Störck was a member of the AKCR.[198]
↑ Franz Sensfuß's nomination for the Oak Leaves was received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) from the troop on 14 March 1945. Major Joachim Domaschk requested by teleprinter message the advisory opinion from the Commander-in-Chief of AOK 1 and Heeresgruppe B. The 212. Volksgrenadier-Division at the time was being encircled by US forces in the vicinity of Baumholder and went into captivity. Major Domaschk had sent a radio message to the nominating commander of the LXXX. Armeekorps: "Nomination deferred according to AHA 44 Ziff. 572." Domaschk noted on the nomination: "Deferred, because missing in action!" A presentation was never made. Sensfuß is not listed in the book for the "nominations for the higher grades of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross" nor in the nomination book for Knight's Cross (starting with Nr. 5100). The sequential number "881" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR), the presentation date by Fellgiebel.[199]
↑ Joseph von Radowitz's nomination for the Oak Leaves was received by the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) from the troop on 30 April 1945 and approved by all intermittent commanding officers. Major Joachim Domaschk ruled that the nomination was insufficient and disapproved on 1 May and recommended "Decision by Chief of OKW". The file contains no indication whether this decision was ever taken. A teleprinter message was sent on 2 May to the nominating unit, the cavalry corps, and further messages to the commanding officers of the Panzer AOK 2 and Heeresgruppe Süd: "...was disapproved because ... the Führer criteria for the presentation guidelines have not been met. I.A. signed Maisel" The sequential number "882" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR), the presentation date by Fellgiebel.[200]
↑ 1.0 1.1 Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 53–104.
↑ Scherzer 2007, pp. 117–186.
↑ Scherzer 2007, pp. 110–116, 128.
↑ "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 1573; 1 September 1939" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 849; 3 June 1940" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ "Reichsgesetzblatt Teil I S. 613; 28 September 1941" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ "Reichsgesetzblatt 1945 I S. 11; 29 December 1944" (PDF). ALEX Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (in German). Reichsministerium des Inneren (Ministry of the Interior). Retrieved 21 February 2008. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 94–104.
↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Scherzer 2007, p. 161.
↑ Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 49–51, 102–111.
↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 94.
↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 Scherzer 2007, p. 349.
↑ 25.00 25.01 25.02 25.03 25.04 25.05 25.06 25.07 25.08 25.09 25.10 25.11 25.12 25.13 25.14 25.15 25.16 25.17 25.18 25.19 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 95.
↑ Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 95, 480.
↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 38.6 Scherzer 2007, p. 637.
↑ 46.00 46.01 46.02 46.03 46.04 46.05 46.06 46.07 46.08 46.09 46.10 46.11 46.12 46.13 46.14 46.15 46.16 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 96.
↑ 54.0 54.1 54.2 54.3 Scherzer 2007, p. 649.
↑ 61.00 61.01 61.02 61.03 61.04 61.05 61.06 61.07 61.08 61.09 61.10 61.11 61.12 61.13 61.14 61.15 61.16 61.17 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 97.
↑ 84.0 84.1 84.2 84.3 84.4 84.5 Scherzer 2007 p. 600.
↑ 85.0 85.1 85.2 Scherzer 2007 p. 601.
↑ 100.00 100.01 100.02 100.03 100.04 100.05 100.06 100.07 100.08 100.09 100.10 100.11 100.12 100.13 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 99.
↑ 101.0 101.1 101.2 Scherzer 2007, p. 636.
↑ 102.0 102.1 Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 99, 481.
↑ 105.0 105.1 105.2 105.3 105.4 105.5 Scherzer 2007, p. 685.
↑ 108.0 108.1 108.2 108.3 Scherzer 2007, p. 776.
↑ 112.0 112.1 112.2 112.3 112.4 112.5 112.6 Scherzer 2007, p. 768.
↑ 115.00 115.01 115.02 115.03 115.04 115.05 115.06 115.07 115.08 115.09 115.10 115.11 115.12 115.13 115.14 115.15 115.16 115.17 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 100.
↑ 119.0 119.1 Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 100, 481.
↑ 130.00 130.01 130.02 130.03 130.04 130.05 130.06 130.07 130.08 130.09 130.10 130.11 130.12 130.13 130.14 130.15 130.16 130.17 130.18 130.19 130.20 130.21 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 101.
↑ 150.00 150.01 150.02 150.03 150.04 150.05 150.06 150.07 150.08 150.09 150.10 150.11 150.12 150.13 150.14 150.15 150.16 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 102.
↑ Scherzer 2007, pp. 136, 137.
↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 147.
↑ 164.0 164.1 164.2 Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 103, 482.
↑ 166.00 166.01 166.02 166.03 166.04 166.05 166.06 166.07 166.08 166.09 166.10 166.11 166.12 166.13 166.14 166.15 166.16 166.17 166.18 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 103.
↑ 170.0 170.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 151.
↑ 186.0 186.1 186.2 186.3 186.4 Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 104, 482.
↑ 188.0 188.1 188.2 188.3 188.4 188.5 188.6 188.7 Fellgiebel 2000, p. 104.
↑ Von Seemen 1976, pp. 60, 62.
Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4. Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6. Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (help)CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Fraschka, Günther (1994). Knights of the Reich. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military/Aviation History. ISBN 978-0-88740-580-8. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (1999). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS. Coburg, Germany: Nation Europa Verlag. ISBN 978-3-920677-43-9. Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (help)<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
"Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes". Lexikon der Wehrmacht (in German). Retrieved 2 January 2011. CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
"Das Bundesarchiv". Military Archive – Freiburg im Breisgau. Retrieved 2 January 2011. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Schnellboot service
U-boat service
Fallschirmjäger
fighter force (Oak Leaves, Swords or Diamonds recipients)
(With Oak Leaves,
Swords or Diamonds)
Oak Leaves, Swords or Diamonds recipients
1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf
4th SS Polizei Panzergrenadier Division
5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
6th SS Gebigs Division Nord
7th SS Volunteer Gebirgs Division Prinz Eugen
8th Cavalry Division Florian Geyer
9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg
11th SS Panzergrenadier Division Norland
12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend
13th Waffen Mountain Division (1st Croatian)
15th Waffen Grenadier Division (1st Latvian)
16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer SS
17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel
19th Waffen Grenadier Division (2nd Latvian)
20th Waffen Grenadier Division (1st Estonian)
22nd SS Cavalry Division Maria Theresia
23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland
28th SS Volunteer Genadier Division Wallonien
33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne
1 SS Infantry Brigade
SS Fortress Regiment 1
SS Heavy Panzer Battalions
de:Liste der Träger des Eichenlaubs zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=List_of_Knight%27s_Cross_of_the_Iron_Cross_with_Oak_Leaves_recipients_(1945)&oldid=3419117"
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Lists of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients
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This article is about the common cereal. For other uses, see Oat (disambiguation).
"Oats" redirects here. For other cultivated and wild species of the genus, see Avena.
Oat plants with inflorescences
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Genus: Avena
Species: A. sativa
Binomial name
The oat (Avena sativa), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed.
2 Cultivation
4.1 Nutrient profile
4.2 Soluble fiber
4.3 Fat
4.4 Protein
4.5 Coeliac disease
5 Agronomy
5.1 Seeding rates
5.2 Fertilizer requirements
5.3 Weed control
5.4 Pests and diseases
5.5 Harvesting
5.6 Storage
5.7 Yield and quality
6 Processing
6.1 Cleaning and sizing
6.2 Dehulling
6.3 Kilning
6.4 Sizing of groats
6.5 Final processing
6.5.1 Flaking
6.5.2 Oat bran milling
6.5.3 Whole flour milling
6.5.4 Oat flour preparation at home
7 Naming
8 Oats futures
9.1 Oat Products and Derivatives
9.2 Major Oat Businesses
The wild ancestor of Avena sativa and the closely related minor crop, A. byzantina, is the hexaploid wild oat A. sterilis. Genetic evidence shows the ancestral forms of A. sterilis grew in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East. Domesticated oats appear relatively late, and far from the Near East, in Bronze Age Europe. Oats, like rye, are usually considered a secondary crop, i.e., derived from a weed of the primary cereal domesticates wheat and barley. As these cereals spread westwards into cooler, wetter areas, this may have favored the oat weed component, leading to its eventual domestication.[1]
Top Ten Oats Producers—2013
(Thousand Metric Tons)
Canada 2,680
Poland 1,439
Finland 1,159
Australia 1,050
World Total 20,732
Source:[2]
Oats are best grown in temperate regions. They have a lower summer heat requirement and greater tolerance of rain than other cereals, such as wheat, rye or barley, so are particularly important in areas with cool, wet summers, such as Northwest Europe and even Iceland. Oats are an annual plant, and can be planted either in autumn (for late summer harvest) or in the spring (for early autumn harvest).
Worldwide oat production
Closeup of oat florets (small flowers)
Oats have numerous uses in foods; most commonly, they are rolled or crushed into oatmeal, or ground into fine oat flour. Oatmeal is chiefly eaten as porridge, but may also be used in a variety of baked goods, such as oatcakes, oatmeal cookies and oat bread. Oats are also an ingredient in many cold cereals, in particular muesli and granola.
Historical attitudes towards oats have varied. Oat bread was first manufactured in Britain, where the first oat bread factory was established in 1899. In Scotland, they were, and still are, held in high esteem, as a mainstay of the national diet.
In Scotland, a dish was made by soaking the husks from oats for a week, so the fine, floury part of the meal remained as sediment to be strained off, boiled and eaten.[3] Oats are also widely used there as a thickener in soups, as barley or rice might be used in other countries.
Oats are also commonly used as feed for horses when extra carbohydrates and the subsequent boost in energy are required. The oat hull may be crushed ("rolled" or "crimped") for the horse to more easily digest the grain,[citation needed] or may be fed whole. They may be given alone or as part of a blended food pellet. Cattle are also fed oats, either whole or ground into a coarse flour using a roller mill, burr mill, or hammer mill.
Winter oats may be grown as an off-season groundcover and ploughed under in the spring as a green fertilizer, or harvested in early summer. They also can be used for pasture; they can be grazed a while, then allowed to head out for grain production, or grazed continuously until other pastures are ready.[4]
Oat straw is prized by cattle and horse producers as bedding, due to its soft, relatively dust-free, and absorbent nature. The straw can also be used for making corn dollies. Tied in a muslin bag, oat straw was used to soften bath water.
Oats are also occasionally used in several different drinks. In Britain, they are sometimes used for brewing beer. Oatmeal stout is one variety brewed using a percentage of oats for the wort. The more rarely used oat malt is produced by the Thomas Fawcett & Sons Maltings and was used in the Maclay Oat Malt Stout before Maclays Brewery ceased independent brewing operations. A cold, sweet drink called avena made of ground oats and milk is a popular refreshment throughout Latin America. Oatmeal caudle, made of ale and oatmeal with spices, was a traditional British drink and a favourite of Oliver Cromwell.[5][6]
Oat extract can also be used to soothe skin conditions.
Oat grass has been used traditionally for medicinal purposes, including to help balance the menstrual cycle, treat dysmenorrhoea and for osteoporosis and urinary tract infections.[7]
Nutrient profile
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
1,628 kJ (389 kcal)
Thiamine (B1)
Folate (B9)
Other constituents
β-glucan (soluble fibre)
Full Report of USDA Database entry
μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams
IU = International units
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Oats are generally considered "healthy" due to their rich content of several essential nutrients (table). In a 100 gram serving, oats provide 389 calories and are an excellent source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of protein (34% DV), dietary fiber (44% DV), several B vitamins and numerous dietary minerals, especially manganese (233% DV) (table). Oats are 66% carbohydrates, including 11% dietary fiber and 4% beta-glucans, 7% fat and 17% protein (table).
The established property of their cholesterol-lowering effects[8] has led to acceptance of oats as a health food.[9]
Oat grains in their husks
A sample of oat bran
Oat bran is the outer casing of the oat. Its daily consumption over weeks lowers LDL ("bad") and total cholesterol, possibly reducing the risk of heart disease.[8][10]
Oats contain more soluble fiber than any other grain, resulting in slower digestion, a feeling of satiety and suppression of appetite.[11] One type of soluble fiber, beta-glucans, has been proven to lower cholesterol.[8]
After reports of research finding that dietary oats can help lower cholesterol, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule[12] that allows food companies to make health claims on food labels of foods that contain soluble fiber from whole oats (oat bran, oat flour and rolled oats), noting that 3.0 grams of soluble fiber daily from these foods may reduce the risk of heart disease. To qualify for the health claim, the whole oat-containing food must provide at least 0.75 grams of soluble fiber per serving.[12]
Beta-D-glucans, usually referred to as beta-glucans, comprise a class of indigestible polysaccharides widely found in nature in sources such as grains, barley, yeast, bacteria, algae and mushrooms. In oats, barley and other cereal grains, they are located primarily in the endosperm cell wall. The oat beta-glucan health claim applies to oat bran, rolled oats, whole oat flour and oatrim, a soluble fraction of alpha-amylase hydrolyzed oat bran or whole oat flour.[12]
Oat beta-glucan is a viscous polysaccharide made up of units of the monosaccharide D-glucose. Oat beta-glucan is composed of mixed-linkage polysaccharides. This means the bonds between the D-glucose or D-glucopyranosyl units are either beta-1, 3 linkages or beta-1, 4 linkages. This type of beta-glucan is also referred to as a mixed-linkage (1→3), (1→4)-beta-D-glucan. The (1→3)-linkages break up the uniform structure of the beta-D-glucan molecule and make it soluble and flexible. In comparison, the indigestible polysaccharide cellulose is also a beta-glucan, but is not soluble because of its (1→4)-beta-D-linkages.[citation needed] The percentages of beta-glucan in the various whole oat products are: oat bran, having from 5.5% to 23.0%; rolled oats, about 4%; and whole oat flour about 4%.
Oats, after corn (maize), have the highest lipid content of any cereal, e.g., greater than 10% for oats and as high as 17% for some maize cultivars compared to about 2–3% for wheat and most other cereals.[citation needed] The polar lipid content of oats (about 8–17% glycolipid and 10–20% phospholipid or a total of about 33%) is greater than that of other cereals, since much of the lipid fraction is contained within the endosperm.[citation needed]
Oats are the only cereal containing a globulin or legume-like protein, avenalin, as the major (80%) storage protein.[13] Globulins are characterised by solubility in dilute saline as opposed to the more typical cereal proteins, such as gluten and zein, the prolamines (prolamins). The minor protein of oat is a prolamine, avenin.
Oat protein is nearly equivalent in quality to soy protein, which World Health Organization research has shown to be equal to meat, milk and egg protein.[14] The protein content of the hull-less oat kernel (groat) ranges from 12 to 24%, the highest among cereals.
Main articles: Oat sensitivity and Gluten-related disorders
Coeliac disease (celiac disease) is often associated with the ingestion of wheat, or more specifically, a group of proteins called prolamins, including gluten. Oats lack many of the prolamins found in wheat, but do contain avenin.[15] Avenin is toxic to the intestinal mucosa of avenin-sensitive individuals, and can trigger a reaction in these coeliacs.[16][17]
Some cultivars of oat can be a safe part of a gluten-free diet because different varieties of oats have different levels of gluten.[17][18] Although oats do contain avenin, several studies suggest this may not be problematic for all coeliacs.[17][19] A follow-up study indicated it is safe to use oats even over a period of five years.[20]
Noire d'Epinal, an ancient oat variety.
Oats in Saskatchewan near harvest time
Oats are sown in the spring or early summer in colder areas, as soon as the soil can be worked. An early start is crucial to good fields, as oats go dormant in summer heat. In warmer areas, oats are sown in late summer or early fall. Oats are cold-tolerant and are unaffected by late frosts or snow.
Seeding rates
Typically, about 125 to 175 kg/ha (between 2.75 and 3.25 bushels per acre) are sown, either broadcast or drilled. Lower rates are used when interseeding with a legume. Somewhat higher rates can be used on the best soils, or where there are problems with weeds. Excessive sowing rates lead to problems with lodging, and may reduce yields.
Fertilizer requirements
Oats remove substantial amounts of nitrogen from the soil. They also remove phosphorus in the form of P2O5 at the rate of 0.25 pound per bushel per acre (1 bushel = 38 pounds at 12% moisture).[citation needed] Phosphate is thus applied at a rate of 30 to 40 kg/ha, or 30 to 40 lb/acre. Oats remove potash (K2O) at a rate of 0.19 pound per bushel per acre, which causes it to use 15–30 kg/ha, or 13–27 lb/acre. Usually, 50–100 kg/ha (45–90 lb/ac) of nitrogen in the form of urea or anhydrous ammonia is sufficient, as oats use about one pound per bushel per acre. A sufficient amount of nitrogen is particularly important for plant height and hence, straw quality and yield. When the prior-year crop was a legume, or where ample manure is applied, nitrogen rates can be reduced somewhat.
The vigorous growth of oats tends to choke out most weeds. A few tall broadleaf weeds, such as ragweed, goosegrass, wild mustard, and buttonweed (velvetleaf), occasionally create a problem, as they complicate harvest and reduce yields. These can be controlled with a modest application of a broadleaf herbicide, such as 2,4-D, while the weeds are still small.
Oats are relatively free from diseases and pests with the exception being leaf diseases, such as leaf rust and stem rust. However, Puccinia coronata var. avenae is a pathogen that can greatly reduce crop yields.[21] A few lepidopteran caterpillars feed on the plants—e.g. rustic shoulder-knot and setaceous Hebrew character moths, but these rarely become a major pest. See also List of oat diseases.
Harvesting of oats in Jølster, Norway ca. 1890
(Photo: Axel Lindahl/Norwegian Museum of Cultural History)
Harvest techniques are a matter of available equipment, local tradition, and priorities. Farmers seeking the highest yield from their crops time their harvest so the kernels have reached 35% moisture, or when the greenest kernels are just turning cream-colour. They then harvest by swathing, cutting the plants at about 10 cm (3.9 in) above ground, and putting the swathed plants into windrows with the grain all oriented the same way. They leave the windrows to dry in the sun for several days before combining them using a pickup header. Finally, they bale the straw.
Oats can also be left standing until completely ripe and then combined with a grain head. This causes greater field losses as the grain falls from the heads, and to harvesting losses, as the grain is threshed out by the reel. Without a draper head, there is also more damage to the straw, since it is not properly oriented as it enters the combine's throat. Overall yield loss is 10–15% compared to proper swathing.
Historical harvest methods involved cutting with a scythe or sickle, and threshing under the feet of cattle. Late 19th- and early 20th-century harvesting was performed using a binder. Oats were gathered into shocks, and then collected and run through a stationary threshing machine.
After combining, the oats are transported to the farmyard using a grain truck, semi, or road train, where they are augered or conveyed into a bin for storage. Sometimes, when there is not enough bin space, they are augered into portable grain rings, or piled on the ground. Oats can be safely stored at 12-14% moisture; at higher moisture levels, they must be aerated or dried.
Yield and quality
In the United States, No.1 oats weigh 42 pounds per US bushel (541 kg/m3); No.3 oats must weigh at least 38 lb/US bu (489 kg/m3). If over 36 lb/US bu (463 kg/m3), they are graded as No.4 and oats under 36 lb/US bu (463 kg/m3) are graded as "light weight".
Oat seeds
In Canada, No.1 oats weigh 42.64 lb/US bu (549 kg/m3); No.2 oats must weigh 40.18 lb/US bu (517 kg/m3); No.3 oats must weigh at least 38.54 lb/US bu (496 kg/m3) and if oats are lighter than 36.08 lb/US bu (464 kg/m3) they do not make No.4 oats and have no grade.[22]
Note, however, that oats are bought and sold and yields are figured, on the basis of a bushel equal to 32 pounds (14.5 kg or 412 kg/m3) in the United States and a bushel equal to 34 pounds (15.4 kg or 438 kg/m3) in Canada. "Bright oats" were sold on the basis of a bushel equal to 48 pounds (21.8 kg or 618 kg/m3) in the United States.
Yields range from 60 to 80 US bushels per acre (5.2–7.0 m3/ha) on marginal land, to 100 to 150 US bushels per acre (8.7–13.1 m3/ha) on high-producing land. The average production is 100 bushels per acre, or 3.5 tonnes per hectare.
Straw yields are variable, ranging from one to three tonnes per hectare, mainly due to available nutrients and the variety used (some are short-strawed, meant specifically for straight combining).
Porridge oats before cooking
Oats processing is a relatively simple process:
Cleaning and sizing
Upon delivery to the milling plant, chaff, rocks, other grains and other foreign material are removed from the oats.
Dehulling
Centrifugal acceleration is used to separate the outer hull from the inner oat groat. Oats are fed by gravity onto the centre of a horizontally spinning stone, which accelerates them towards the outer ring. Groats and hulls are separated on impact with this ring. The lighter oat hulls are then aspirated away, while the denser oat groats are taken to the next step of processing. Oat hulls can be used as feed, processed further into insoluble oat fibre, or used as a biomass fuel.
Kilning
The unsized oat groats pass through a heat and moisture treatment to balance moisture, but mainly to stabilize them. Oat groats are high in fat (lipids) and once removed from their protective hulls and exposed to air, enzymatic (lipase) activity begins to break down the fat into free fatty acids, ultimately causing an off-flavour or rancidity. Oats begin to show signs of enzymatic rancidity within four days of being dehulled if not stabilized. This process is primarily done in food-grade plants, not in feed-grade plants. Groats are not considered raw if they have gone through this process; the heat disrupts the germ and they cannot sprout.
Sizing of groats
Many whole oat groats break during the dehulling process, leaving the following types of groats to be sized and separated for further processing: whole oat groats, coarse steel cut groats, steel cut groats, and fine steel cut groats. Groats are sized and separated using screens, shakers and indent screens. After the whole oat groats are separated, the remaining broken groats get sized again into the three groups (coarse, regular, fine), and then stored. "Steel cut" refers to all sized or cut groats. When not enough broken groats are available to size for further processing, whole oat groats are sent to a cutting unit with steel blades that evenly cut groats into the three sizes above.
Three methods are used to make the finished product:
This process uses two large smooth or corrugated rolls spinning at the same speed in opposite directions at a controlled distance. Oat flakes, also known as rolled oats, have many different sizes, thicknesses and other characteristics depending on the size of oat groats passed between the rolls. Typically, the three sizes of steel cut oats are used to make instant, baby and quick rolled oats, whereas whole oat groats are used to make regular, medium and thick rolled oats. Oat flakes range in thickness from 0.36 mm to 1.00 mm.
Oat bran milling
This process takes the oat groats through several roll stands to flatten and separate the bran from the flour (endosperm). The two separate products (flour and bran) get sifted through a gyrating sifter screen to further separate them. The final products are oat bran and debranned oat flour.
Whole flour milling
This process takes oat groats straight to a grinding unit (stone or hammer mill) and then over sifter screens to separate the coarse flour and final whole oat flour. The coarser flour is sent back to the grinding unit until it is ground fine enough to be whole oat flour. This method is used often in India and other countries. In India whole grain flour of oats (jai) used to make Indian bread known as jarobra in Himachal Pradesh.
Oat flour preparation at home
Oat flour can be purchased, but one can grind for small scale use by pulsing rolled oats or old-fashioned (not quick) oats in a food processor or spice mill.[23][24]
In Scottish English, oats may be referred to as corn.[25] (In the English language, the major staple grain of the local area is often referred to as "corn".[26] In the US, "corn" originates from "Indian corn" and refers to what others call "maize".)[26]
Oats futures
Oats futures are traded on the Chicago Board of Trade and have delivery dates in March (H), May (K), July (N), September (U) and December (Z).[27]
Oat Products and Derivatives
Export hay
Oat bread
Parkin (cake)
Steel-cut oats
Major Oat Businesses
Jordans (company)
Quaker Oats Company
↑ Zhou, X.; Jellen, E.N.; Murphy, J.P. (1999). "Progenitor germplasm of domesticated hexaploid oat". Crop science. 39: 1208–1214. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ "World oats production, consumption, and stocks". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 18 March 2013. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ Gauldie, Enid (1981). The Scottish country miller, 1700–1900: a history of water-powered meal milling in Scotland. Edinburgh: J. Donald. ISBN 0-85976-067-7. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ "Grazing of Oat Pastures". eXtension. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2013-03-27. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ The Compleat Housewife, p. 169, Eliza Smith, 1739
↑ Food in Early Modern Europe, Ken Albala, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003, ISBN 0-313-31962-6
↑ Duke, James A (2002-06-27). James A. Duke, Handbook of medicinal herbs, CRC Press, 2002. ISBN 9781420040463. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers at line 47: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
↑ "Nutrition for everyone: carbohydrates". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services. 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ "LDL Cholesterol and Oatmeal". WebMD. 2 February 2009. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers at line 47: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Title 21--Chapter 1, Subchapter B, Part 101 - Food labeling - Specific Requirements for Health Claims, Section 101.81: Health claims: Soluble fiber from certain foods and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) (revision 2015)". US Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ "Seed Storage Proteins: Structures 'and Biosynthesis" (PDF). Plantcell.org. Retrieved 2013-03-27. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ Lasztity, Radomir (1999). The Chemistry of Cereal Proteins. Akademiai Kiado. ISBN 978-0-8493-2763-6. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ Rottmann LH (2006-09-26). "On the Use of Oats in the Gluten-Free Diet". Celiac Sprue Association/United States of America, Inc. (CSA). Archived from the original on 2006-06-05. Retrieved 2006-10-31. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ "Guide to Oats". Celiac Sprue Association/United States of America, Inc. (CSA). <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers at line 47: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
↑ Janatuinen, E.; et al. (1995-10-19). "A Comparison of Diets with and without Oats in Adults with Celiac Disease". New England Journal of Medicine. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ "Oat crown rust". Cereal Disease Laboratory. United States Department of Agriculture| Agricultural Research Service. 18 April 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2015. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ "Oats – Chapter 7 – Official Grain Grading Guide – 5 / 7". Grainscanada.gc.ca. 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2013-03-27. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ The Sparkpeople cookbook: love your food, lose the weight, Galvin, M., Romnie, S., May House Inc, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4019-3132-2, page 98.
↑ ["http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-oat-flour.htm "What is out flour?"] wiseGeek.com. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
↑ Partridge, Eric (1995). Janet Whitcut, ed. Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English (1st American ed.). New York: W.W. Norton, 1995. p. 82. ISBN 0-393-03761-4. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ 26.0 26.1 NA (2007). Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 522. ISBN 978-0-19-920687-2. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
↑ List of Commodity Delivery Dates on Wikinvest
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Warm and Fussy
Surveys associated with legislator's district
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public:politics
Sneaky politicians will try to further their agenda by attaching issues unlikely to get passed to issues that are highly likely to get passed on the same bill. 2 things usually happen as a result of this. The highly popular and responsible issue is rejected because of the bullshit that's attached to it, and as a result something important doesn't get done, or the whole bill is passed because the big ticket item is so important we just take the bad thing that's attached to it in a compromise. Either way, Americans lose out on the deal.
Well how's about we make a little change to the bill submission policy. EVERY ISSUE SUBMITTED MUST BE SUBMITTED SINGULARLY, IN ITS OWN BILL WITH NOTHING ELSE ATTACHED.
Now, some things will seem like separate issues but really aren't. For instance, say the bill is intended to mandate a language learning program at all public schools. This programs needs to be paid for, so the bill may also propose a new tax to pay for it. As long as it is clearly stated what the tax is for and that the tax will be used only to finance THAT ISSUE, it may be submitted jointly.
What will NOT be allowed is a law changing the government employee dress code to allow 'casual Friday', and attaching a tax break for the wealthy. They are completely unrelated, thus they must be submitted separately.
— 21 Quest, Aug 14 2011
I should have known somebody would already have addressed this... http://www.halfbake...on_20on_20the_20Net
At least I searced the 'bakery first - this was the first result. [normzone, Sep 16 2011]
It's most often called 'earmarking', and, now that we're rid of the Unpresident and his cronies, the legislative bodies are actually trying to do something about it (it was an Obama plank). Like pretty much every attempt to change something in the legislative process, these efforts are progressing slowly and meeting many roadblocks. Check back in ten or twenty years and we'll have seen the end of earmarking, because it will have been replaced with some other form of sneaky, underhanded bullshit.
— Alterother, Aug 14 2011
Isn't Bill Relevancy the anchor on NBC evening news?
— MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 14 2011
Your best idea yet, and that's saying something!
— white, Sep 13 2011
I believe several states already have this in their legislative process. The major effect has been the addition of a page of very convoluted reasoning explaining why the two items are related.
// the addition of a page of very convoluted reasoning explaining why the two items are related. //
// some other form of sneaky, underhanded bullshit. //
— Alterother, Sep 13 2011
It would be nice - almost nothing would get done.
Now tack on a mandatory periodic expiration period for all legislature. If it was serious they'd reestablish it, if not then bye-bye.
— normzone, Sep 13 2011
Just like The Good Fairy Jenny's restrictions upon [The Alterother]'s junk collection.
// The Good Fairy Jenny's restrictions ... on ...junk collection //
This is clearly some new, different and ironical use of the word "Good" that we were not previously aware of ...
— 8th of 7, Sep 13 2011
The Good Fairy Jenny is [The Alterother]'s wife, sirs, and for that insult, I once again find myself forced to challenge you to a duel.
<sound of glove smacking collective cheeks/>
//mandatory expiration period for all legislature.// I assume you meant "legislation".
But I'm actually hoping you meant exactly what you said.
— lurch, Sep 16 2011
Well, now that you mention it, my enthusiasm does exceed my grammar on occasion. Although your idea does have merit.
The [Alterother] / [8th of 7] duel would be a great pay-per-view event. But my experience with such matters is that geographic proximity limitations tends to cool tempers after the initial responses are exchanged.
I though there might be an idea in there, but it's been done before (link).
TGFJ and I fully intend to visit the UK again. We can only hope the Borg will rise to the occasion. Until then, our little spats must be limted to the pages of this forum. As an upside, this means they're free to watch and seating is unlimited.
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I’m on the lookout for ripe rosehips down in bountiful Devonshire to stock up on some cordials, syrups and jellies.
Roses of all varieties are one of my all time favourites, the flavor can be so delicate and fragrant and add so much to dishes both savoury and sweet.
I’m not interested in an artificial or heavily perfumed taste in my food, so making it at home really means I can control this incredible flavour.
I also have a dish in mind, made from fresh cheese, rhubarb vinegar, rosehip oil and syrup...
On the subject of roses more generally, there was a very interesting dish developed at noma made from an egg yolk cured with beef garum, small discs of potato, rose pulp and elderflower. Eggs, potato and flowers? Not a combination expected to be quite as pleasing as it was.
Another very simple but very incredible combination I have swiped from Denmark is charred rose petals on a rye crisp with brown butter emulsion. All you have to do is roll out very thin rye dough; I like mine to be seeded, and bake it on a mid-temperature until crisp. Then, make a brown butter emulsion which is incredibly simple to do in that you brown some good quality butter, I prefer to make my own, and emulsify it with oil and seasoning, then place the freshly charred rose petals on top. Simple.
There are two types of rosehip syrup I am interested in making. The first is the more standard version of a syrup that you cook to reduce. Some people say that you need to top and tail the rosehips but there really is no need to do so since for this recipe you are going to pass the mixture through muslin or some kind of tammy cloth. You will just want to either chop the rosehips into smaller pieces or briefly blitz in a food processor. Use approximately 1kg rosehips to 1kg sugar and 2L of water.
Rosehip Syrup – Cooked.
1. Place the rosehips in a saucepan with approximately half of the water and bring the water to the boil. Once the water is boiling fully, cook for 15-20 minutes, look to see that the rosehips have started to really soften and break down slightly.
2. Next, strain the liquid through muslin into a clean bowl or container and leave the liquid to sit until cool, approx. 45 mins to 1 hour.
3. Return the pulp to the pan and add the remaining water, again bringing to the boil and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, the point being to extract as much flavour as possible.
4. Strain the second batch and add to the first batch.
5. Place the combined liquids back in a clean pan and boil to reduce the liquid by half. If you are looking for a more intense syrup, then you can continue to reduce this liquid even further. At this stage, and also depending on the use of your syrup, you can make a decision. If the liquid you have obtained is cloudy, then that is ok if clarity is not an issue. However, if you do want or need a perfectly clear rosehip syrup, then you can at this stage freeze the mixture. Then turn it out as a solid block of ice so that it thaws and passes through a couple of layers of muslin into a container below. This will clarify your liquid and leave you with a perfectly clear mixture that you can then heat back up to the boil and pick up the following stages. I would suggest that depending on the colour of your syrup, you may want to leave it cloudy as it is part of the charm, but this process is good for reference.
6. Once the liquid has reduced sufficiently, add your sugar. Again, note that the sweetness of the syrup that you want will be determined by how much you put in but also that the greater the quantity of sugar in the syrup, the longer it will preserve for. I suggest that 1kg is right for 1kg fruit. Once the sugar has all dissolved, let the syrup boil for a further 5 minutes, allow it to cool and then place in sterilized jars or containers.
The alternative Rosehip syrup method is very simple, the wait is much longer, but the end product has not been subject to any heat and so therefore it is ‘raw’ and perfect for advocates of the raw food diet. You retain all it’s nutrients and goodness, and believe me, there is a lot to retain. Sixty times more vitamin C than in orange; there is a reason why, in times past, many families made their own rosehip syrup and give their children a daily spoonful as it was known this provided a base This method was described to me by Chris from Ipso-Phyto, an incredible London based forager– check out his website here.
Rosehip Syrup - Raw
Take equal quantities of Rosehips and Sugar and layer these in a container, and leave for approximately 6 months. If the Rosehips are not as ripe as you would like, then score them to help the extraction process. The sugar will work to slowly extract all the flavour and the result will be a beautiful pink syrup that you shouldn’t even need to pass as the hips have been left whole. §I’m pretty certain that you could then use the rosehips themselves and dehydrate them to make some further goodies, but we shall see how I get on with that one in 6 or 7 months time….
Now onto the good stuff…. Rosehip Brandy…
Rosehip Brandy
approx 1kg rosehips (depending on ripeness and also your preference) to 1.5L Brandy and 300g sugar. Sugar can be white or brown – take your pick depending on the richness you want in your brandy. If you go for brown, expect a slightly more caramelised flavour.
1) Wash Rosehips
2) Dry
3) Place rosehips in a sterilised container or jar, the one you wish to keep your brandy in, then cover with sugar and place in a cool place overnight.
4) Pour your brandy over the mixture the following day and add your flavourings of choice. Common flavourings are cinnamon and cloves and a touch of lemon peel. I would suggest that infusing your brandy with some Wood Avens, if you can find some, would add that extra medicinal quality to your brandy, but if not, then straight up cloves will be just perfect. I like the idea of adding a touch of cinnamon, perhaps a 3 inch piece of stick, a few cloves, maybe 1 or 2 as I am not such a clove fan, and a small amount of lemon , orange or grapefruit peel, perhaps half a fruits worth, or less. I would also, if you have some, add some rosehip syrup for extra intensity.
5) Seal the container and let it stand for a minimum of 2 weeks in a light place.
6) Once you are happy your liquor is sufficiently infused, strain and pass into the bottle(s) or container(s) of your choice, and allow to stand for a least a further month prior to serving.
So there we have it, some rosehip goodness for the month of October and some festive brandy merriment for when the cold, harsh winter months hit….
Or really, just an excuse to share this bad boy round and eat it with some cheese….
Foraging in london - hampstead heath
What might you expect to find when foraging in London? Some half eaten pizzas, chicken bones, rotten veg perhaps. Not if you know what you're looking for. And really, we ought to know a little more of the world around us. After all, we are a small country, in the grand global scheme of things, and we are facing essentially quite chronic annual growth in population and problems of thus feeding the world. Basic sustenance starts at home, if we understand what we can eat; we can source basic sustenance and locate those all important anti-carcinogenics and super foods we so persistently hear all about. This is not to say we can rely on looking at the world around us and finding foods to complete our diet, it's that we shouldn't be ignoring a world of produce that is wild, natural and with potentially incredible health benefits. Why not know more about the incredible produce of our home land? If something is grown in the land around you, then it's provenance is known, we can better control it's background and we can hope it's going to taste a whole lot better too. How exciting to know something you can't buy in the supermarket is going to help your next meal taste fabulous, if you know what you're looking for. Wild herbs and plants have incredible new flavours, or rather perhaps they aren't even new, they just haven't been used in common place food before or for a very long time. Since the advent of supermarkets, lets face it, we were bound to become lazy....
We hear all about the incredible health benefits of goji berries and acai, but we don't always consider what is lost when these products are shipped from across the ocean, in terms of nutrients and also more generally in terms of sustainability and the many modern day considerations we should be taking into account when it comes to food and, well, just about everything really. If we can get the same nutrients and amazing health benefits from British grown produce, then surely we really should educate ourself and start looking at our own front doorstep. It's all perfectly fresh and untravelled, healthy and has all the medicinal benefits that botanical advocates have known about for years.
Above, we found Shepherd's Purse, a member of the cabbage or umbellifer family, recognisable by it's heart shaped pods. It's worth noting though that all pods can be different, as they are the seeds, which can change. They will always though spiral round the stem in a distinct manner. The flowers are yellow or white. With every wild plant, as Chris, the expert forager informed us, smell the plant first. Every time. It's this that you will help you best identify and verify a plant. You will recognise the sulphurous cabbage smell in this case. Shepherd's purse has been historically used for staunching wounds and for lady time. In the instance of the women's monthly blight, take the root and leaves and steep in hot water to serve as tea.
The next plant we came across was Common Mallow, Recognised by it's creased leaves and the purple spot at it's base. It's a relative of the marsh mallow. The root of the common mallow can be very sweet when made into a broth, it is also very good when used as a thickener. It's soft, mallow-ey leaves are great to build up the texture of a soup or sauce. It's classed as a soothing, demulcent herb which can be good for respiratory conditions - or to place on inflamed skin. Mallow leaves are great when mixed with other leaves, as part of a salad or in a soup or broth.
The next edible we came across was the great Ash Tree. Interestingly, a relative of the Olive. What the Ash Tree delivers is sets of edible fruits called 'keys'. In Spring these are green and soft and we can brine or pickle them to preserve them for the winter or use them as a very British component of an antipasti style smorgasbord. Chris our lead forager pickled some in a blackberry vinegar which were terrific. Out at Noma, we would collect young beech leaves and treat these in the same way, and later dehydrate them and sometimes cover with Cep or other flavoursome powders to garnish a plate. There was a Duck dish in partiular where these featured heavily. I would like to experiment with Ash Keys and perhaps use them in a similar fashion.
Onto Jack By The Hedge.
Another member of the Brassica family. Otherwise known as Hedge Garlic. Isn't it such a shame that more people don't use these flavoursome alternatives in every day food? Use the stem of the leaf in the Spring, it can be a lot less bitter. The leaf is garlicky in flavour but it does leave you with a slightly bitter after taste, however, what always springs to mind for me when you have food like this one, is use it in cooking, and mask the bitterness with flavours that will balance it out. Go Asian and play around with Ginger, Chilli and Lemongrass. For sweetness there are all sorts of sweetening agents you could add to level things out, depending on the dish and your mood. I'm going to devise a recipe for this one and post it when tested, as I think it's such a fantastic herb, it needs to be elevated.
In America, they often use the root of jack by the hedge - as it has a pungency similar to horseradish, it also notably has large white flowers, white like many of the other brassicas. The seeds have a mustardy type heat, and it's worth noting that all parts of this plant are edible. Wonderful.
As a word of reassurance to those out there thinking, what if a dog has relieved itself on this plant I just found? Well, if a dog has done it's business on a plant, it's going to be pretty darned obvious. The leaves will have discoloured or they may be mottled or brown. Like any food, look at it first, if it looks healthy, then the odds are in your favour. Don't pick something if it looks brown or soiled...
Hawthorn Berries.
As I write this in September, Hawthorn berries are absolutely abundant. You will see them everywhere you go, all around London. Completely edible and completely useful in the same way as other common berries. They are apple-ey in texture and can sometimes be a little bland. Go for the darker ones if you can, for flavour. They are completely full of anti-oxidants and goodness. Hawthorn berries have long been used as a medicinal treatment for ailments of the heart. See this link for plenty of useful information. They really are quite incredible in terms of their uses, as a berry goes, and it's on our own doorstep; it's free and it hasn't travelled halfway across the world. I can't emphasis this point enough! It's just so important and exciting to get involved with what we already have available to us, rather than jumping on board the overseas and imported superfood trend, we've got them all right here! Just don't eat the seed... it's full of cyanide and we don't want that.
Hawthorn berries are always smaller on wild plants, like in the picture above, but domestically they can get to the size of a cherry and become much more peachy in texture and taste.
Next on the foraging agenda, is Roses. Classic roses. All are identified by their oval shaped leaves which will have the distinct serrations running along the edges. They also always have five petals. So at this time of year, we see an absolute abundance of Rosehips. They're not typically 'ready' until October and generally are always better after a frost. There is an exception though, as there really always is, there will always be variation. Hedgerow roses have larger rose hips which can be ready sometimes in August. And guess what, onto the health benefits, they contain on average sixty times more vitamin C than oranges! Bonkers! So go grab a load of rose hips I say and crack onto a batch of rose hip brandy. If the hips aren't ripe, you can score them to allow the extraction for the brandy or oil production process, just make sure to separate these from the ripe ones so you can differentiate between what kind of intensity of flavour you are getting. I'm going to post a bundle of recipes for everything I've mentioned in this blog over the course of the next week, as I simply don't have the time right now to get everything on here. In short however, you can make a rose hip syrup by layering the hips with sugar and allowing to sit for 6 months and you will end up with an amazing rose scented and flavoured pink syrup. Done now, this will be absolutely perfect for cocktails come next spring and summer.
Alexanders.
This plant which flowers in the Spring with clusters of yellow green flowers is a Mediterranean plant brought here by the Romans. They referred to it as the pot of alexandria as every part of it was edible. It has a celery, fennel like plavour, which sometimes can be bitter and more in the aniseed range. A little bit lovage-esq. It's stems can be lightly steamed and eaten like asparagus, the leaves can be treated like any other leaf and ether eaten raw as part of a salad or cooked as part of a full range of dishes. When the Alexanders are a new growth, they are tender and tasty, so this is worth being aware of. You could take the flowers and infuse these in olive oil. The seeds are very much like pepper in texture, but more aromatic, and you could treat these in the same way as pepper or any other spice. If you roast them then the flavour mellows and you get rid of the more volatile parts.
We next came across the Evergreen Tree whose seeds are much like mini acorns, and these when they are a good size are tender and edible straight off the tree. Imagine treating these like a nut and with the correct amount of roasting, oil and salt, what an interesting snack.
Greater Plantain is something I very much always considered a weed, it's just so common. The greater plantain likes compact ground; think parks and commons. When all the flowers are out on the stems that pop out of the middle of the plants, then take the top of this stem, usually in April to July, which is the flowering season, and you get a really strong mushroom taste coming through. Chris the forager explained to us how he makes a really fantastic dip made by beating the stem with egg yolks, then beating egg whites, adding lemon juice, S & P and other seasonings and it tastes like a cracking and very conversation worthy mushroom dip.
Salad Burnet, to the right, is a leaf, that can be eaten raw, and can be harvested throughout the winter, which is good to know. The stem can get a little tough, so the tip of the plant is generally best. The leaves have a slight cucumbery taste. This is a herb that we used a lot out at noma, more often as decoration, as it is a very attractive leaf with it's reddish stem.
Now, onto some exciting stuff.
Wild Carrot is part of the umbellifer family, which means it has distinct characteristics which can help us recognise it as being carrot and not anything more sinister. If you look under it's head it has little branched bracks exactly under the base of the flower. When the flower is done, it folds up into a 'birds nest' like in the picture below. It is also a hairy type of plant, so feel it's stem to make sure. These traits make it easy to identify.
The root is very carroty. The seeds are very aromatic - they are officially awesome. You just have to eat them raw to discern a totally unique and incredibly distinct flavour. You're not going to get this flavour elsewhere - it's totally one hundred precent unique. Again, treat this like any other spice and roast it to release the aromatics. It's a new spice for the larder. I'm so excited about this plant and it's amazing flavour and want to experiment with it a lot. The whole plant is edible, some people make a jelly from the flowers with lemon juice which turns pink, which again is exciting and another one to experiment with!
So, the words of caution when it comes to picking any umbellifers. Hemlock, the most deadly umbellifer, is quite fatal. Hemlock doesn't have any hairs. There is often a red spot in the middle of the flower and 99% of the time there are red spots on the stem. Hemlock also smells a little like urine - fetid. Carrot on the other hand is nicely scented, and as we had heavily pointed out to us by Chris the lead forager, ALWAYS smell everything. It's going to confirm to you that what you have found, is what you think you have found, and could keep you very much alive. It's basics really, and the same principle applies to everything we put in our mouth.
The Oxeye Daisy is essentially a large daisy. normal small daisy's are edible, as is the oxeye. It's stems are commonly used in asia as chop-suey greens.
All Thistle's are edible. Obviously you just have to get rid of the spikes and spines, so a hardy pair of gloves are advised. The mid-rib in particular can be good - perhaps to use as a crudite, or as any other green stem.
Another handy benefit is that they are pretty good for our livers too so may well make up for the excess rose hip brandy consumption.
Wild Oats, commonly sold by Neils Yard and other health stores for it's health related benefits. The straw of these oats is considered to be a relaxant. Chop up the straw and brew it in hot water for tea and it's a great bevvy to have pre-bed to send you off into a deep slumber. What it essentially does is work on the central nervous system, as a whole, and it's benefits are considered high.
Sorrel, of course. Everyone loves sorrel. A restaurant staple. Serve it with lobster, in fact all seafood. It's citrusy notes cut through and complement a number of dishes just perfectly. Dinner by Heston serve it with their lobster dish, it featured heavily on Noma's menu and Simon Rogan is well renowned for using it in his restaurants. In fact, it's incredibly common place these days, and there are plenty of varieties to keep us occupied. Buckler Sorrel, Wood Sorrel, Wild Sorrel, Micro Sorrel...
It is recognisable by it's arrow shaped leaves.
The Common Lime Tree whose buds have a great crunch, so toast or fry these off and go from there.
The Blackthorn tree, whose berries look like blueberries. Word of warning - don't let the thorns puncture you though as you are quite likely to get septicaemia. Stay safe. But once you've got hold of those little buggers, I mean berries, you can go make a great gin, or a jam. You do however need cold winters for this plant to thrive; luckily for us, we've had no shortage of these. The berries on their own are incredibly dry and astringent so you probably don't want to go snacking on these as you pick, but with a little work, it is certainly worth the effort for the much rewarded beverages and preserves you can inevitably go on to create.
Ribwort plantain, above, is recognisable by the raised ribs on the back of its leaves. like greater plantain, it's flower heads have a mushroom taste. This is a useful plant as it's incredibly good too for wasp stings or for staunching blood. It acts as an antiseptic, astringent and demulcent agent.
Wood Avens, Clove Root, or Herb Bennett, is a member of the rose family. Not only does it have a long list of medicinal qualities, including helping diarrhoea, but if you take it's roots, then these have a very clove like flavour and therefore are useful for infusing to extract this, and potentially help stop unwanted other things going on...
There are so many other things to find in England, and in London, these are just a few which go to show that maybe we should get to know the world around us just that bit better. So many plants are so common place, like dandelions, which we all know and recognise, that are fully edible, and good for us, and in fact are used in lots and lots of restaurants right now. The root roasted is good, boil it for about 4 minutes first, then peel the skin off and roast it, in butter of course. It becomes really sweet and good to eat. In Spring, the root is even sweeter as it converts its storage carbohydrates into a sweeter root.
I'm going to post recipes for these plants, some I already know, and some to be the product of experimentation. It really is completely fascinating to think this is the world around us, and there's so much to learn. It is completely exciting.
Life out at noma
In January 2013, I decided to see if I could embark on a small culinary adventure. I started emailing restaurant Noma in Copenhagen to see if they would consider taking me onboard for a stage out there. I received an application form sent for me to fill out in June 2013 and proceeded to badger them over email during the course of the summer. In late August I received the exciting news that they were going to offer me a 3 month stage in 2014.
So, in late March this year, I packed my bags and ventured out to the Danish capital. I had a rough itinerary to help form my expectations but really didn’t know what to expect. I started with 10 fellow stagiers and was promptly informed to expect this number to dwindle as the weeks went by. I was also informed that rarely did English people complete the full stage… interesting. So the bar was raised.
I joined an international bunch in this English speaking kitchen and learned to get to know people from all walks of life. People came to this kitchen to learn from the best restaurant in the world so we were all united by our interest and common passion. Noma won the title as the worlds best restaurant from San Pellegrino’s fifty best back in 2010 and maintained it’s position throughout 2011 and 2012. In 2013 they dropped to no2 but incredibly regained the pole position again this year. This recovery is the first of it’s kind in this list so a remarkable feat all round and very exciting to be out there when the news was delivered. Standing in a bar with the whole brigade of staff, watching the awards as they were streamed to the high screen tv in Ved Stranden, a riverside wine bar, was quite something. I didn’t however choose Noma based on reputation alone, I picked it because of their approach to food and the world around them. They forage for food and create a Danish larder of flavours that come from the surrounding land using ingredients previously overlooked and undiscovered or underused in the culinary world.
Having spent the first few weeks picking herbs and helping to plate for the private dining room, dishes such as Soft boiled egg with Spring Herbs, and their signature Beef Tartar with Ants, I was thrilled to then spend two solid weeks out foraging in the Danish countryside with their resident full time forager Michael, or Mikkel as they all call him, rather incorrectly, as his name he informed us was and always had been the very Anglic version and thus pronunciation of Michael.
We went to forests where we picked wood sorrel, beech leaves and collected ants. We went to woodland clearings where we found hidden fields of ramsons, cowslip flowers, morels and moss. We went to beaches for portulac, scurvy grass, sea beets, beach cabbage, beach peas. We collected rose petals to make rose oil for the winter, salad burnette, goosefoot and many other wild flowers and herbs to decorate and flavor the dishes back at the restaurant. A learning experience like no other. All helped by the snoozes that could be taken in the foraging van between destinations helping to catch up on the sleep lost from working those long restaurant hours.
Back at the restaurant, myself and the other English girl Rosie then spent the next week cooking staff meal for the 60 strong members of staff who needed two meals a day. The idea behind this family meal stems from Rene’s strong philosophy that staff should be fed two delicious and healthy meals every day. The joy also of having such an international crew is that you cook food from your home so everyone eats varied and multicultural food that could be from absolutely anywhere. Watch Rene HERE describe this amazing offering. We responded to requests from the other staff who wanted a Roast Dinner and with the help of Chef Sam Miller, managed to rustle up Roast Beef with all the trimmings for our Saturday night finale. We also put forward Bangers and Mash one day much to the excitement of Rene who proclaimed in the way that he always did, imitating accents wherever he could, ‘Oh! How Wonderful Girls – Bangers and Mash!’ We were certainly scared from the outset though that staff meal would be a flop – Rene casts his critical eye over all the food and indeed eats it. Cooking for the worlds best chef – who knew? The first experience I had of seeing two young lads cooking the staff meal was pretty petrifying. They had rustled up some white fish – baked, plain. Some vegetables and Salad. It was fairly basic and uninspiring, which I hate to write because when someone cooks you a meal, you are grateful. But it has to be written to explain just what unfolded. Rene cast his eye across the spread, took a mouthful, looked over and asked what it was. He proceeded to cut through to the AM kitchen, where the food had been prepared to demand an explanation from the two young cooks, asking, ‘What is this? What the f*** is this?’ and upon hearing the stuttered realization of a response that the food was not up to par, proceeded to explain why the food they had on offer was just not acceptable to the 60 members of staff who had been on their feet all day. I cut a lot from that story, it scared me too much. Thank God our week went well. Some of our food even got instagrammed – the ultimate praise!
After that little experience, we moved on to being placed on different sections in the restaurant. I spent time, a week minimum, on all sections in the restaurant – snacks, sec 1 (starters), sec 2 (mains) and pastry. In these sections I was doing work that ranged from making the aeble batter for the aeble skivers every morning for the day, making the Nordic ‘coconuts’ and straws, powders, prepping and making the shrimp & ramson ravioli, where the ravioli is not pasta, but rather an oiled and blanched ramson leaf folded over and carefully cut to form a pristine ‘ravioli’. One week I was spearing pike’s heads and the next I was finely slicing rhubarb and making roses…
Every Saturday night was the Saturday Night Project, a platform for continual creativity. Where Chefs present what they have been working on, or ideas that they are going to move forward. This always took place after service on a Saturday, before the two days off everyone took every Sunday and Monday. Every week there were two to five dishes presented. I never did one but look back and regret this very much.
Jun’s Garfish Roe, Turbot, White Asparagus and Egg Yolk cured in Beef Garum, one of the most spectacular dishes that was put forward.
Garima's Crispy Chicken Skin, Celeriac Puree, Wood Sorrel & Nasturtium Granita Canapes
An Origami Crane made from a dehydrated sheet of celeriac filled with some goodness I can't even recall...
To top off 3 months of hard work, three of us were treated to a full VIP sit down meal at the restaurant, with extra champagne and wine pairing. We donned our best (packed) dresses, as we certainly didn’t plan for such a fancy meal. Sure we thought we’d be preparing it, but eating it in a fancy dress, oh no. We had a full 26 course bonanza of courses, making all the hard work we had put in suddenly become clear as to how it could come together, and why this restaurant is the number one in the world. Nothing comes close to the noma experience. I’ve eaten incredible food in incredible restaurants, and loved each and every experience, but eating at noma is just different. It’s a talking point, it’s exciting and the flavours are insane. That’s the only way I can describe it. This is what we ate:
Red currant and green strawberry
Nordic coconut
Moss and cep
Flower tarts
Peas and radishes
Pickled and smoked quails egg
Flatbread with wild roses .... (my standout snack by far - simple but incredibly good)
Grilled cucumber and fudge
White cabbage and samphire
Caramelised milk and cod liver
AEble skiber, lovage and parsley
Pike head
Burnt leek and cod roe
Shrimp and goosefoot, radish and yeast
White asparagus, black currant leaves and barley
Turbot roe and sour cherries
Beef tartar and ants
Lobster and nasturtium
Beetroot, sloe berries and aromatic herbs
Cured egg yolk, potato and elderflower
Turbot and nasturtium cream and wood sorrel
Rhubard and sorrel, creme fraiche and spanish chervil
Raspberries and rye
The whole experience was life changing. It was eye opening, exhausting, incredible and fundamentally altered the way I look at things. I’ll never forget how much I learnt out there.
Ash Tree
Common Lime Tree
Cookery Schools In England
Dinner By Heston
Foraging In London
Foraging On Hampstead Heath
Greater Plantain
Herb Bennett
Jack By The Hedge
Jamaican Cocktail
Kaosarn St John's Hill
Shepherd's Purse
Wild Food Showcase
Wild Hops
Wood Avens
Click HERE to go to my instagram page.
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knowledgemart
Knowledge is the fragrance of life
Arvind Kejriwal’s darbar dilemma
Posted by admin on Jan 13th, 2014 in Politics | Comments Off on Arvind Kejriwal’s darbar dilemma
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has tasted the best that is of forming the Government at Delhi on his maiden political venture. Arvind Kejriwal’s janata darbar on Saturday last however showed up the worst part when a youngster slit his wrists to prove his faith in their government. All his popular moves like setting up an anti-graft hotline to collecting papers from people regarding their grievances have caught the fancy of the media, their rivals and definitely the masses. Arvind Kejriwal’s inaugural venture for the janata darbar held at Delhi Secretariat almost crushed him as the crowds broke barricades to approach him. The CM had to be rescued after which Kejriwal appeared on the terrace to render an apology to the enormous crowd for bad management. He added that they had not been prepared for this massive turnout. However the real hurdle would be to meet the sky high expectations that he and his AAP has raised among the entire nation. His party has also received an astonishing reply from the whole country to open offices that would enable them to launch their nationwide drive for the General Election 2014 in April-May 2014.
Kejriwal’s idea of mohalla sabhas and janata darbar sanctions power to the people who are directly involved in the governance. These instances have given the imagination of the crowd a no-holds bar approach. The common people who were totally cut off by the now ruling non-communicating government at the centre, have suddenly found all gates opened by the Delhi AAP government for them to actively participate within a very short tenure. Will the AAP be able to satiate the people’s cherished dreams is now the million dollar question. Doing anything overnight is practically impossible and this truth is known to Kejriwal and his newly appointed associates of the AAP ruling Delhi Government.
Nevertheless the AAP ministers are working round-the-clock to meet people’s expectations. But a few of the contorted equations demand not only time but also skill and hard policy decisions to set them on the track to development. Even at 7 pm in the evening when most Delhi officials heading home the appointed Labour minister Girish Soni is still busy in meetings at the Delhi secretariat. He strictly uses a car which is devoid of the red-beacon or security like the CM Arvind Kejriwal. On the one hand as one minister works late another starts off early in the morning. Health minister Satyendra Jain meets his constituency assembled at a park in the morning hours before work commences. Manish Sisodia works a 6 am to 11 pm shift as he is responsible for three portfolios, including the education department. Kejriwal and his cabinet have a lot to do, learn, implement, ensure and decide all of which will bear an indelible mark on their careers and the government policies on which everyone of the country has their eyes keenly set upon. It’s undoubtedly a gigantic task to bear the burden of the people’s expectations upon their tender shoulders and still deliver the goods under such a load.
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Lockdown Procedure
There are several variations of addressing lockdown procedures when considering the school setting. Listed below are several ideas that may assist in developing a “lockdown” protocol in a school community. It is highly recommended that school officials consult with local law enforcement officials to cooperatively develop this protocol.
View current suggestions: "Considerations When Developing a School Lockdown Policy"
Lockdown Mandated by Law
The passage of Senate Bill 8/HB 354 (http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/13RS/SB8.htm), which changes several of Kentucky’s current school safety statutes, took effect on June 25, 2013. Emergency Response Drill schedule: As of 2013, all four emergency response drills (fire, lockdown, severe weather and earthquake) must be conducted by the first 30 days of the new school year and must be conducted again in January. Use the following worksheet to plan drills for your school. Submit a copy of the schedule with your school’s plan, and use the original to document drills when they actually occur.
Considerations When Developing a School Lockdown Policy
Special Note: Periodically, the Kentucky Center for School Safety (KCSS) is asked to provide suggestions to school district officials regarding a variety of emergency response procedures. Recently, KCSS was asked to provide a model lockdown procedure for a school setting.
KCSS, unfortunately, cannot provide such a policy due to the uniqueness of each school setting, specific local and state laws, and differing agency requirements. (It is all too common for different law enforcement agencies to have different requirements they wish to see in place upon arriving at a school that has become a crime scene.)
KCSS can, however, provide discussion points for school district officials and first responders to consider when developing a school-specific lockdown procedure. Therefore, as you will see below, each area addressed is offered only as a consideration for school officials and local responders to discuss as they develop their school’s individual plan. Please note that a critical part of these procedures is that they must be reviewed annually and updated as necessary.
Download "Considerations When Developing a School Lockdown Policy"
Steps After Announcement of Lockdown
(For use to protect building occupants from potential dangers in the building)
Note: school-specific lockdown procedures should be developed by school officials and local law enforcement officials. Please see “Considerations When Developing a School Lockdown Policy”
for additional information.
When the announcement is made:
Students are to be cleared from the halls immediately and to report to nearest available classroom
Assist those needing special assistance
Close and lock all windows and doors and do not leave for any reason
Stay away from all doors and windows and move students to interior walls and drop
Wait for an official to open the door
Other Things to Consider
When developing a lockdown protocol, be mindful of different scenarios that will require advanced planning when needing to put the school in lockdown such as: during class changes, during lunch time, recess, during assemblies, during arrival and dismissal times.
Remember, it is critical to work with local responders to fully define and implement a viable plan of action.
* Check with local law enforcement officials regarding this concern.
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Connell's team takes Tabo Tipoff title
Thursday, December 4. 2008
A dominating performance by the Winder-Barrow High School boys basketball team Saturday helped cap a successful run through the Tabo Tipoff Tournament.
The Bulldoggs defeated Collins Hill 75-44 to capture first place in the tournament hosted by Jefferson High School and emerged with a perfect 3-0 record in tournament play which stretched over several days. [Full Story »]
WBHS cross country athletes earn All-Region status
A season which ended at the Class AAAA state meet has resulted in individual recognition for members of the Winder-Barrow High School cross country program.
Amanda Cope was named first team All-Region 8-AAAA along with teammate Rebecca Gregory and Kalya Estes. Marie Lyle was named second team All-Region with Nicole Webb earning third team honors.
[Full Story »]
New coach brings winning tradition
Successful wrestling is nothing new for Chad Horne.
The first-year Winder-Barrow High School coach guided the wrestling team at Social Circle High School to the state tournament several seasons when he was their mentor. After serving as an assistant coach at Duluth High School for one season, Horne is now at WBHS and looking to build the Mat Doggs into a perennial winner as well.
WBHS coach looks to offseason program
When Ben Corley breaks down the 2008 football season for his Winder-Barrow High School Bulldoggs, the coach sees one thing clear.
“Overall, we got better from the start to the finish,” Corley said. “We had a great deal of improvement. We were better at the end of the season than we were at the beginning and that was a positive.”
Bulldoggs play region champs tough
The Loganville High School football team won the Region 8-AAAA title Friday night at W. Clair Harris Stadium, but the Winder-Barrow Bulldoggs made them earn it.
The visiting Red Devils took a 19-7 win in a steady rain which moved into the area before kickoff and fell throughout the contest. The rain hampered both teams offensively, but the defense shined for both squads.
Winder-Barrow plays Loganville tough
Sunday, November 9. 2008
The Winder-Barrow High School football team will doing more than simply playing out the string Friday night.
The Bulldoggs played well overall against Loganville High School before falling 19-7 in a game playing in a steady rain at W. Clair Harris Stadium. Coach Ben Corley and his coaching staff will now begin work toward next season.
See Wednesday's edition of the Barrow Journal for a complete recap of Friday's final game of the 2008 campaign.
'Doggs can still play role of spoiler
The Winder-Barrow High School football team will not be going to the postseason this fall but the Bulldoggs are in perfect position to play the role of spoiler this Friday night.
In fact, head coach Ben Corley said his team is taking the approach that the game with Loganville is the region championship for Winder-Barrow. The visiting Red Devils will have plenty on the line as they look to clinch the No. 1 seed for the state playoffs.
Winder-Barrow falls to Gladiators
The Winder-Barrow High School football team made the short trip to Athens Friday night hoping for an upset.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the Clarke Central Gladiators would have no part of it and sent Winder-Barrow home with a 52-13 loss. The defeat dropped the Bulldogs to 1-8 for the season.
See Wednesday's edition of the Barrow Journal for a recap of last week's game and a preview of Friday's game against Lognaville.
'Doggs venture to Athens
Wednesday, October 29. 2008
When the Winder-Barrow High School football team travels to Clarke Central Friday, Bulldogg head coach Ben Corley said it will be important for his team to start the game playing well.
“It seems we have been ‘wide-eyed’ when the games begin,” Corley said earlier this week as he and his coaches began preparing for the contest against the Gladiators. “We have to get past that. We have to believe we can do well. To start playing well halfway through the first quarter is too long to wait.
Winder-Barrow falls to Salem
Sunday, October 26. 2008
The Winder-Barrow Bulldogs overcame three quick scores by visiting Salem to play a competitive game Friday night, but the visiting Seminoles still managed a 21-0 win at W. Clair Harris Stadium.
Salem scored three touchdowns before the first quarter was half complete and then made those scores stand up. The Winder-Barrow defense settled down after the rocky start and did not allow any points for the final three and a half quarters.
See Wednesday's debut edition of The Barrow Journal for a complete game recap and a preview of Friday's Region 8-AAAA contest against Clarke Central.
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Presentations and Posters (template)
Registration Instructions
Parallel Sessions
Home Keynote Speakers
President of CreE.A Project (France) University of Pádua (Italy) University of Minho (Portugal)
Hibat Tabib is a lawyer and specialist in International Relations and Social Mediation.
Between 1992 and 1995 he was President of the Association for Cultural and Intercommunity Stanoise (APCIS).
From 2001 to 2015 he was Director of the Association of Training, Prevention and Access to Law (AFPAD) and is currently President of this association.
He is President of the Strategic Committee of the European social mediation project CreE.A, which brings together 7 countries (Italy, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, England, Germany and France) and collaborator of the French and European Forum for Urban Security (FFESU).
In 2013 he was appointed Knight of the Legion of Honor as European specialist in issues of mediation, school dropout and violence.
Hibat Tabid is the author of the books: La cité des Poètes (1999); Résistant in Iran (2007); and Fil Continu (2010).
Gian Piero Turchi is Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychology of Cultural Differences and Clinical Deviance at the University of Padua, Italy.
He is coordinator of the research group on Cognitive and Methodological Development of Dialogic Science and the researcher responsible for the coordination and supervision of Projects on Social Policies: migration, health and well-being, gender violence, mediation, among others.
He is President of the World Mediation Forum.
Gian Piero Turchi is the author and co-author of several books, among them: La risposta all’emergenza come occasione di promozione della Salute e Coesione della Comunità (2017); Minori e giustizia. La mediazione come strumento efficace ed efficiente per un ruolo attivo del minore nella comunità (2016).
Moisés de Lemos Martins is full professor in the University of Minho, and he is currently the Director of the Communication and Society Research Centre, which contributed to its foundation in 2001. Martins has a PhD in Social Sciences by the University of Strasbourg, in 1984. His research and teaching focuses on social semiotics, sociology of communication and culture and lusophone studies.
In terms of scientific publications, he is the director of Comunicação e Sociedade and Revista Lusófona de Estudos Culturais. He was the President of Sopcom, (the Portuguese Association for the Communication Sciences), as well as of Lusocom (involving the Portuguese Speaking Associations of Communication Sciences) and Confibercom (gathering all the Iberian-American scientific communities within the Communication Sciences field).
He also published and edited several books: Crise no Castelo da Cultura (2011); L’imaginaire des médias (with Michel Maffesoli, 2011); Portugal Ilustrado em Postais (with Madalena Oliveira, 2011); Comunicação e Lusofonia (with Helena Sousa and Rosa Cabecinhas, 2006); A Linguagem, a Verdade e o Poder (2002); O Olho de Deus no Discurso Salazarista (1990).
NEW DEADLINE for submissions
Notification of decisions on abstracts
Last day to register to authors with communication
NEW DEADLINE to register
NEW DEADLINE for full paper submission
April 26 and 27 2018
congressodim@gmail.com
Création d'une espace européen de la médiation pour l'inclusion sociale
Câmara Municipal de Braga
Alto Comissariado para as Migrações, I. P.
Rede de Ensino Superior para a Mediação Intercultural
(Português) Idioma/Language:
Congresso Internacional "A Europa como espaço de diálogo intercultural e de mediação"
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From Control to Empowerment
Bringing out the best in you so you can bring out the best in others.
Leadership is a rich and meaningful word. It stirs up a sense of idealism, excitement, hope and courage. It is a word that inspires us to be our best, a word that weassociate with those who have made the greatest difference in our lives. In short, leadership is a significant part of the answer to whatever challenges our organizations may face.
What You Will Gain
“High Performance Leadership: From Control to Empowerment” will teach you how to be an outstanding leader within your organization. The principles and practices you learn in this program are based upon observation and research from the foremost authorities in the field of leadership.
From the program you will:
Understand the five practices of the world’s greatest leaders.
Create a clear and compelling vision of the future.
Find an appropriate balance between the five major leadership roles (technician, manager, trailblazer, architect and coach).
Become a leader who empowers others and brings out their best.
Learn how to organize and manage your priorities so that big things control little things.
Recognize leadership qualities in yourself.
“High Performance Leadership” consists of eight modules (each two to three hours in length) that are scheduled and delivered at least one week apart. The modules include numerous individual and group exercises that make the training come alive and ensure that participants translate the principles into a personal plan of action. This program can be taught to a large group or even a single leader with the trainer acting as a personal coach. The number of participants, structure and format can all be tailored to fit the needs of your organization.
Leadership is the pivotal force behind successful organizations. To create vital and viable organizations, leadership is necessary to develop a new vision of what they can be, and then mobilize the organization to change towards that vision.
-Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus
Module 1: Principles of Leadership (2.5 hours)
Learn the importance of leadership in achieving long-term organizational success.
Discover the five myths of leadership.
Understand the difference between leadership and management.
Learn the difference between controlling and empowering leadership styles.
Module 2: Practices of Empowering Leaders (2.5 hours)
Empowering leaders have a driving passion to realize their vision.
Empowering leaders build and sustain trust with their followers.
Empowering leaders unleash the commitment and motivation of their followers.
Empowering leaders are social and organizational architects.
Empowering leaders act from positive beliefs about people and situations.
Module 3: The Five Leadership Roles (2 hours)
Examine the three core elements of team effectiveness.
Learn the five roles of leadership.
Discover the appropriate balance among the five roles.
Understand how to lead “from the balcony.”
Learn how to use a set of diagnostic questions to lead “from the balcony.”
Module 4: Leadership Practices (2.5 hours)
Understand your strengths and weaknesses as a leader.
Assess yourself in the five leadership roles.
Know how you are viewed by others in your organization.
Develop personal improvement plans.
Module 5: Personal Productivity (2 hours)
Assess how you currently use your time.
Discover the barriers that keep you from managing your time more effectively.
Learn the difference between the important and the urgent and how to schedule the time for the important.
Learn to set professional goals to guide your use of time.
Learn a systematic approach to managing daily events.
Module 6: Fundamentals of High Performance Teams (2.5 hours)
Learn the definition of a high-performance team and how it differs from traditional work groups.
Discover the three elements of high-performance teams.
Learn the four types of teams.
Learn the stages of team development.
Module 7: Performance Expectations (3 hours)
Learn to confront behavior that fails to meet your expectations.
Understand the importance of discipline and conformity in building high performance.
Develop a set of non-negotiables for those whom you lead.
Practice the skill of harnessing harmful behavior.
Apply the skill to back-home situations.
Module 8: Empowering Others for Success (2.5 hours)
Learn the difference between commitment and compliance motivation.
Understand how leadership changes to create commitment.
Learn the four principles of empowerment.
Learn the elements of empowerment.
Discover a matrix for identifying what people need in order to be empowered.
Develop a dialogue to transfer power to others.
Create a model of situational leadership.
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February 1 Brand Journalism In the Press PR Northern Ireland
The end of an era brings a new day for St Patrick’s Academy
THE countdown is now well and truly on for a gala night which will mark the end of an era and the beginning of a new one for one of County Tyrone’s biggest schools.
St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon has been preparing for An Evening of Celebration for months, and, this Saturday, hundreds of people will gather for An Evening of Celebration – an event which will also see the launch of the Academy Alumni Association.
The event will feature a series of artists who are past pupils of the school, will welcome Gold and Corporate Sponsors as well as the school’s special guest speaker – Sean O’Neill, the Chief Reporter for The Times newspaper.
Sean was born and brought up in Dungannon and left the Academy in 1983 after taking A-levels in English, History and Economics. He took his degree at the London School of Economics and then returned home to work for the Tyrone Democrat for about two years. He then worked in London for City Limits magazine before a stint as a freelance journalist and landing his first national newspaper job with the Daily Telegraph in 1992. In 2004, Sean moved to The Times where he has worked as a senior reporter, then Crime Editor and is now paper’s Chief Reporter.
Speaking ahead of this Saturday’s event, principal Fintan Donnelly congratulated the organising team and has described An Evening of Celebration as “the start of a new beginning” for the school.
He said: “So much work has gone on behind the scenes to organise this event which will be a fantastic celebration of our school, its past achievements, its future, and, as well as that, it will be a momentous occasion for our past pupils to network with each other. So thank you to everyone who has participated.
“I would also like to publicly thank our Gold Sponsors – Bachus Group, Cara Pharmacy, CavanaghKelly, Danske, Keystone Group, Mallaghans, McAleer & Rushe, McAvoy Group, Newell Stores, Niavac and Sanville Group. The support from these local businesses is fantastic and the school is grateful.
“An Evening of Celebration will mark the launch of the Academy Alumni Association (AAA) on Saturday night (February 3). This event is well and truly the start of a new beginning. Our new £27million school looks fantastic and we look forward to announcing who will be leading the Alumni Association.”
Acts such as Broadway actor Fra Fee, composer and musician Ryan Molloy, winner of The Voice UK Andrea Begley, soprano Gemma Prince, baritone Karl McGuckin, singer/songwriter Mairéad Duffy, brothers Ronan and Ruairi Stewart of Cúig and Harry Lambert will perform on stage. The band for the evening will be HouseM8s.
Mr Donnelly added: “The talent which has come out of this school is so impressive and we are delighted that so many past pupils will showcase those talents on the stage on Saturday night at the Armagh City Hotel.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone to An Evening of Celebration.”
St Patrick’s Academy was established in 1891 and is a voluntary grammar school based in Dungannon, Co Tyrone. The new £27million school will be opened in February 2018 after An Evening of Celebration and the launch of the Academy Alumni Association (AAA).
For further information contact Eleanor McGillie of MGMPR Ltd on 028 3756 9569 | 07709805379 | mgmpr.co.uk | Public Relations Northern Ireland | Public Relations UK | Brand Journalism Northern Ireland | Brand Journalism UK | Brand Journalism Experts
Tags: Brand Journalism Experts, Brand Journalism Northern Ireland, Brand Journalism UK, Eleanor McGillie, MGMPR, PR Northern Ireland, Public Relations Northern Ireland, public relations UK
December 4 Brand Journalism In the Press PR Northern Ireland
Emerson’s Supermarket ‘Trolley Appeal’ to aid foodbank
THE Emerson’s Foundation is collaborating with Armagh Foodbank to help with a surge in demand from families living in the community who are facing financial struggles this Christmas.
The foundation, launched last year by Emerson’s Supermarket staff with the aim of helping transform the local community, has announced its support for the foodbank in its fight against hunger this Christmas. Last December, the foodbank provided 213 three-day emergency food supplies to people.
November 22 Brand Journalism In the Press PR Northern Ireland
Markethill High School to become regional hub of excellence
Markethill High School is to become the first school in Northern Ireland to join forces with the Teacher Development Trust – a UK-wide organisation which raises the awareness of effective professional development in schools and colleges across the UK.
Principal James Maxwell announced the partnership at this week’s prize giving where he told a packed hall that the aim for Markethill High School is to become a regional hub of excellence for professional development and educational research.
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Self Driving Cars Programmed With Racial Bias
by Bronwen | 11th March 2019
There is a huge diversity problem in the technology sector and it doesn’t just affect revenue and creativity – it actually creates flaws in products that could have been avoided had more women and ethnic groups been involved in the designing.
What do the statistics say?
Let’s start with some statistics. In 2016, Google’s diversity report showed that 56% of its overall workforce was white and only 3% of its new hires were black. The proportion of men to women was also unsurprising, with males making up 69% of the workforce.
Graph showing race and gender proportions at Google in 2016. link
It’s not just Google whose figures look like this. In 2017, women made up just 23% of employees in tech roles at Apple and 54% of employees were white.
The whiteness and maleness of these sorts of companies can lead to defunct products such as voice recognition software that has trouble understanding female voices and this soap dispenser that doesn’t work on dark skin tones.
If you have ever had a problem grasping the importance of diversity in tech and its impact on society, watch this video pic.twitter.com/ZJ1Je1C4NW
— Chukwuemeka Afigbo (@nke_ise) August 16, 2017
Systems with in-built Prejudice?
Now, as companies are beginning to seriously develop self-driving cars, research is finding that these cars are better at detecting light skin pedestrians. This, if unfixed, could lead to countless deaths and injuries of black and other dark skinned pedestrians once these cars become mainstream.
A study from the Georgia Institute of Technology found that an automated vehicle would fail to spot somebody with a darker skin tone and proceed to drive into them. According to their findings, these systems were 5% less accurate at detecting dark skin tones compared to light skin tones. However the systems tested were those created by academics rather than those of big companies such as Google.
The authors conclude the study with a warning message for tech companies who do not consider skin tones when programming recognition technology:
“We hope this study provides compelling evidence of the real problem that may arise if this source of capture bias is not considered before deploying these sort of recognition models.”
Is the technology sector’s inequality having a much wider impact? Let us know what you think below.
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Battle Quills... ready! Circulation: 179,112,207 Issue: 439 | 16th day of Eating, Y12
The Winds of Change: Part Five
by icedragon_14_1
Crystal jumped up and down and called to her old owner. After she got the news that Ivy had left, she thought that they’d never see each other again. Her eyes met Ivy’s for a moment, before Ivy fell over the side of the boat from leaning over it so much. She swam to shore and was hauled to her feet by Crystal.
“Ivy! Wha-what are you doing here? Why are you here?” Crystal asked anxiously. They hugged each other before Ivy answered.
“Feather told me that she needed some ‘outside help’ for the big battle against Sloth. So, she used some of her connections to contact me, asking me if I could come back with some other Neopians so we could coach the fighting when the time came. Some of us brought some decent Battledome pets to help fight as well. But Feather didn’t tell me that you would be here! I would have begged the Captain to speed up if she did!” Ivy explained.
“I just got here a couple of days ago! And Feather didn’t say that you were coming! I asked her, but she refused to tell me who the ‘outside help’ was...” Crystal replied, before adding, “Ivy! You’re here!” Crystal collapsed into Ivy’s arms.
“Yes, I am, Crystal. I can’t believe I’m here either, trust me. But after you left, and I left, I thought I’d never see you again, little Runningcrystal. But I’m here.” Ivy stroked Crystal’s fur and spoke softly.
Crystal pushed herself out of Ivy’s arms. “You don’t have to comfort me, Ivy. I’m not a year old anymore!”
“Right, sorry. It’s just been so LONG! I miss the old times, Crystal. Now, can you bring me to Feather? She said we’d discuss some battle strategies, and old times.” Ivy giggled.
“Sure. C’mon, her training area is over this way.” Crystal smiled and led Ivy to the clearing.
“Feather! Long time, no see,” Ivy said once they reached the training clearing and Feather’s hut.
“Ivy! How’s life treating you? Good, I assume?” Feather asked.
“Good. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve found Crystal,” Ivy replied.
“Hey! Stop talking about me like I’m not here!” Crystal protested.
“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Ivy chuckled.
“C’mon, let’s go into our hut so we can discuss how to get Neopia out of this Sloth-created mess,” Feather said, and the trio went into the little hut.
Flight looked up from her book, which she was reading on an old bed.
“Ivy, you’re finally here! What took you so long?” Flight asked.
Crystal put her paws on her hips. “Ok, who else knew about Ivy’s arrival?” she asked.
“Basically everyone here but you.” Feather smirked.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Crystal glared.
“We wanted it to be a surprise!” Flight smiled.
“Well, it certainly was surprising.” Crystal smiled back.
They all sat down at the table and began to talk strategy. Ivy was the first one to speak.
“First off, how are we ever going to be able to contact Sloth so we can challenge him and his army to a Battledome match?” she asked.
“We definitely can’t fly up to the Space Station and find him,” Crystal pointed out.
“And we won’t. What I’m planning on doing is having our whole army do something together that would bring Sloth down here to us instead of us going up to him. Then we challenge him to a Battledome match for Neopia’s freedom. Hopefully, he won’t refuse,” Feather answered.
“That’s a good idea. But how’ll we beat him? He’s really tough,” Ivy asked.
“If you haven’t noticed, Ivy, we’re all training each other here. We’ll challenge him either once we’re ready or when Sloth finds out and tries to stop us from training. Speaking of which, let’s get back to combat training.” Feather pointed out. “We can continue our strategy talk later. Crystal, I’m going to teach you sword-play.” The pair got out of their chairs and walked towards the clearing.
“All right, Crystal, are you ready?” Feather asked once they both had a sword in their paws.
“I think so,” Crystal replied, clutching her Sword of Skardsen tightly in both paws.
“First off, you need to let go of your sword with one paw,” Feather pointed out. Crystal let go of the sword with her left paw. “Now, the first trick I’m going to teach you is a basic one. First, hold your sword so that the tip is facing the sky. Next, curve your paw so that your palm is facing up. Then, twist your paw as far as it’ll go and when you can’t go any further, throw the sword up and catch it with the other paw. Thrust it forward at your opponent and the move is done,” Feather explained.
“That’s simple?” Crystal asked. She wasn’t used to something that complicated that was supposed to be simple. But she still did it. Even though it took a couple of tries, she mastered the skill and could do it fluently.
“Great job! Now the second one is a little more complicated, since it requires some paw to paw combat. First, you thrust the sword forward, then you slash your opponent with your sword at a diagonal angle. Then, you jump up and do a kick with each foot. Once you land you twirl around. You transfer the sword from one paw to the other, then turn the sword sideways and shove it forward,” Feather said, demonstrating the move.
Crystal practiced the move for a while before she could do it as well as Feather. “This is getting easier. Show me some real sword play!” Crystal challenged.
And Feather did. They practiced all sorts of battle moves, and even practiced against each other. Soon they both felt like they could take on Sloth a couple of times before tiring. But they knew that it would be a tough battle. So they continued to train, sometimes training others in the army and other times doing battles against each other. They continued training for a couple of weeks before everyone decided that they were ready to take on Sloth. In the clearing in which they trained, they developed it into an area that Sloth had to come to. Everyone had made signs, clothing, anything that they could write on, and wrote on them “Sloth Stinks!” and paraded around the clearing, chanting the words that were on their signs. They had only done it for a minute when Sloth teleported himself to the center of the clearing with a couple of Mutant Grundos.
“What is the meaning of all this?” he asked furiously.
“We challenge you and your army to a Battledome match for Neopia’s freedom!” Flight, Feather, Crystal and Ivy said simultaneously.
“With this measly army? Ha! This’ll be an easy win. You know the terms, correct?” Sloth smirked.
“Every army member fights one from the opposing army, and the winner of each match enters the main fighting arena to assist the leaders of each army? Unless you’ve changed the terms, then we know them,” Feather said.
“All right then. Let us travel to the Battledome,” Sloth said.
Sloth snapped his fingers and both armies were in Battledome arenas. In the Main arena where the leaders would be facing off were Sloth and two Mutant Grundos, Flight, Feather and Crystal. Ivy entered and stood at the edge of the arena, ready to give any required coaching. Crystal tossed Ivy her bag, which was still over her shoulder up until then.
“Hold my things for me, please!” she called. Ivy smiled and nodded.
And the battling began.
Crystal clutched her Sword of Skardsen and sprang forward, using all the moves that Crystal had taught her, thoughts buzzing rapidly through her head.
“Toss and thrust, kick and twirl, punch and stab, whoa! I almost hit Flight! Stay calm, Crystal. All right, stay calm. Twist and swish, ooh! I took down one of the Mutants! Focus, Crystal. Go for Sloth, help Feather take him down.”
Crystal rushed towards Sloth and thrust her sword at him. He turned around and grabbed the sword. Crystal saw Feather leap over him and bring her sword down like a club. Sloth released the sword for a moment, and Crystal drew it back.
Neopets that had defeated their opponents in other arenas were beginning to gather, fighting each other and making sure their side wasn’t overwhelmed. The battle raged on, each side refusing to back down. More thoughts buzzed through Crystal’s mind.
“Remember the first move the Feather taught you. Twist, toss and lunge. Great! He took some damage. Now, use it like a club!”
Crystal had only managed one more strike when a Mutant Grundo pried her off of Sloth. She kicked back at him, trying to get herself free so she could help restore peace to Neopia. The Grundo threw her over Sloth’s head. She would have slammed into the wall of the arena if she hadn’t used her wings to slow her fall, so she landed on the ground instead of crashing into the wall. She skidded and threw up dust clouds. As she tried to get the dust out of her eyes she dropped her sword. When the dust cleared, she saw Sloth standing over her with her sword in his hand. Then she heard Ivy’s voice.
“Catch!” she called.
Crystal reached up her paw and caught a metal rod; then she could identify that it was her flute. Thinking fast, she used it as a club and slammed it into Sloth. It shattered, letting out an earsplitting screech. Sloth fell back to where Flight and Feather were. They thrust their swords at him, until they heard him say something no one ever thought they’d hear.
“I SURRENDER!”
» The Winds of Change: Part One
» The Winds of Change: Part Two
» The Winds of Change: Part Three
» The Winds of Change: Part Four
» The Winds of Change: Part Six
Week 439 Related Links
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©Eelco Brand
©Gerhard Mantz
@COLL.EO/FregoliDelusions
©Robert Overweg
©Mathieu Bernard-Reymond
©Alan Warburton
©Justin Berry
©Roc Herms
©Rob Wetzer
8 Apr - 25 Jun 2017
SIMULACRUM
What is real, what is artificial? The border between the two is beginning to fade. In the visual language of the advertising industry, the border between real photography and digitally calculated models is almost indistinguishable. This also applies to the film industry, where CGI (computer generated imagery) seamlessly blends with physically recorded footage. Furthermore, the fulfilment of the promises of VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality) and AI (artificial intelligence) is just around the corner.
It’s becoming somewhat of a challenge to distinguish between images that represent reality and images that depict reality. This theme lies at the heart of the exhibition: a Simulacrum stands for a simulation that takes the place of the reality it stems from.
As this technological development progresses it also becomes more accessible. What until recently was only reserved for prosperous studios now lies within the reach of individual artists. Everyday computers, game consoles, and even smartphones are so powerful that they are able to work with increasingly lifelike CGI models.
Noorderlicht shows nine artists who are fascinated by this development. Some of them manoeuvre through computer games with a virtual camera, like real reportage photographers in a virtual reality. Others construct their own images from scratch, revealing to us a new world that is barely distinguishable from reality.
The participant artists:
Mathieu Bernard-Reymond - Interruption (FR)
This series exposes the process of creation. The calculation process that enables these landscapes to come to life is repeatedly interrupted; the half-completed images are merged with one another. A fictional landscape becomes visible in this way, where the mathematic polygons of the calculation process still filter through.
Justin Berry - Videogame Landscapes (US)
Berry’s landscapes resemble nature as seen through the eyes of classical masters. In reality, he scours video games in search of the scenery behind the game, which he saves as screenshots. His final photorealistic images emerge as a collage of the manifold details that he captures in this way.
COLL.EO (Colleen Flaherty & Matteo Bittanti) - Fregoli Delusions (US/IT)
These videos originate from games, however they ignore the drivers and racing cars that play the leading role in them. The extras are given central stage instead. What is it like to be a character without a role, in the hallucination of the game? A Fregoli Delusion is a medical delusional disorder, which revolves around the illusion of repetitions and double identities.
Eelco Brand (NL)
Brand’s work is an artificial reflection of a tangible world. He researches the possibilities of 3D software in photographs, videos and objects. Nature is a recurring theme, fluctuating between deceptively realistic images and fiction with an absurd take. This exhibition shows several of Brand’s photographs and videos.
Roc Herms - Study of Perspective / Postcards from Home (ES)
Herms sees an analogy between Grand Theft Auto V and the work of Ai Wei Wei. Both are controversial and take a critical look at modern civilisation. The rebellious and anti-authoritarian "Study of Perspective" by the Chinese artist is recreated here in GTA V. Also exhibited is "Postcards from Home", a photobook about Herms’ virtual adventures in the world of Playstation.
Gerhard Mantz - Landscapes (DE)
Upon first sight, these landscapes appear realistic and enticing. However, take a closer look and they turn out to be alienated, imaginary realities. Mantz uses abstract calculations; his models take archetypal spaces as the base to build out from. New memories are created, which are about universal emotions rather than specific places.
Robert Overweg - The End of the Virtual World / Flying & Floating (NL)
The world of a virtual game is not round but flat, with a hard edge at the end. Overweg examines the fringes of video games. What does the end of the world look like? Is a casual scene able to surprise us with a new view? And if he diverges from the well-trodden path as a gamer, a surreal landscape of malfunctioning software appears.
Alan Warburton - Assets / Spherical Harmonics (GB)
Individual 3D objects can be purchased for commercial use via online stock libraries. The series “Assets” presents these kinds of objects as photographic still lifes in an isolated, context-free setting. "Spherical Harmonics", a film commissioned by The Photographers’ Gallery, takes the viewer on a journey through the virtual worlds that can be constructed with these objects.
Rob Wetzer - Lost Worlds (NL)
The gamer is invited to venture into a journey of discovery through pristine territories. The 3D designers behind these kinds of landscapes make frequent use of the ideal images embedded in our collective consciousness. It is an idyllic image of unspoilt nature, which in its artificiality stands as a symbol for the contact we have lost with real nature.
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Tag: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Florida Tech, Embry Riddle to Collaborate on Spaceflight Research
November 11, 2018 November 9, 2018 News 1
A spacesuit is tested as part of the collaboration between Florida Tech and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. (Credit: Florida Tech)
Goal to Improve Human Performance on Flight Decks, in Cabins
MELBOURNE, FLA. (Florida Tech PR) — Florida Institute of Technology and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University have announced a year-long collaboration on research involving spaceflight with the goal of improving human performance inside spacecraft.
The joint effort involves Florida Tech’s Human Spaceflight Lab, or HSF, directed by Ondrej Doule, and Embry-Riddle’s S.U.I.T. (Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology) Lab, and its principal investigator, Ryan Kobrick.
Crowded Skies: Embry-Riddle Studies Financial Impacts of Space Launches on Aviation
July 13, 2018 News 5
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy begins its first flight. (Credit: NASA)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., July 13, 2018 (ERAU PR) — Researchers with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s College of Business in Daytona Beach, Florida, are calculating the specific financial impacts of space launches on aviation.
Rodrigo Firmo, a graduate research assistant and M.B.A. candidate, recently presented preliminary results of the project at an international conference at ESTACA University in France.
NASA Announces Ninth Round of Candidates for CubeSat Space Missions
March 3, 2018 March 3, 2018 News 0
WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA has selected 11 small research satellites from seven states and Puerto Rico to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard space missions planned to launch in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
The selections are part of the ninth round of the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative. CubeSats are a type of spacecraft called nanosatellites, often measuring about four inches on each side and weighing less than three pounds, with a volume of about one quart. CubeSats are built using these standard dimensions as Units or “U”, and are classified as 1U, 2U, 3U, or 6U in total size.
Embry-Riddle Research Payloads Flew Aboard New Shepard
December 14, 2017 December 13, 2017 News 0
New Shepard capsule after landing. (Credit: Blue Origin)
Embry-Riddle experiments in space could help with cancer treatment
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Embry-Riddle PR) — For less than four minutes at the edge of space, T-cells from mice in an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University experiment in partnership with the University of Texas Health Science Center and the Medical University of South Carolina were exposed to microgravity onboard a successful Blue Origin launch in the hope of one day finding new treatments for cancer.
The payload from Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus flew Dec. 12 on Blue Origin’s New Shepard space vehicle to assess how microgravity impacts the cellular processes of T-cells or T-lymphocytes, which develop from stem cells in the bone marrow and are key to the immune system.
Project PoSSUM Graduates 13 Scientist-Astronaut Candidates
Project PoSSUM graduates (Credit: ERAU)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (ERAU PR) — Project PoSSUM, a non-profit research program devoted to the study of Earth’s upper atmosphere, announced that it has graduated 13 new Scientist-Astronaut Candidates as part of PoSSUM Class 1601.
The PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut program, designed by former NASA astronaut instructors and hosted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., gives its candidates the skills to effectively conduct research on commercial space vehicles as part of an international research campaign dedicated to the study of our global climate.
NIAC Focus: Novel Atmospheric Satellite Concept
May 19, 2016 May 16, 2016 News 0
Schematic of prototype “twin” aircraft. (Credit: W. Engblom)
Flight Demonstration of Novel Atmospheric Satellite Concept
NASA Innovative Advance Concepts Phase II Award
William Engblom
The Dual-Aircraft Platform (DAP) is a novel concept for achieving a low-cost atmospheric satellite in the lower stratosphere which utilizes a combination of wind and solar energy capture. DAP consists of two glider-like unmanned aircraft connected via a thin, ultra-strong cable. Long duration flight simulations have shown the platform could literally sail without propulsion, using levels of wind shear persistently found near 60,000-ft, and substantially increase the energy available for useful payload operations.
The central objective of the proposed Phase II effort is to perform autonomous proof-of-concept flight demonstrations of the DAP concept using a small-scale prototype at low altitude. Related objectives are develop specific flight maneuvers and mechanisms required for station keeping, and validate the autonomous guidance and control software.
Flight demonstrations of the sailing mode of operation, as well as all other required maneuvers for stratospheric station keeping, will be conducted using the atmospheric onshore wind shear produced at low altitudes (< 500 feet) at Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility. Optimal dates/times for flight testing will be selected based on an historical weather assessment. Off-the shelf aircraft will be modified for DAP operation. The aircraft will be remotely controlled by KSC pilots during the first year, and will gradually shift towards complete autonomous flight control in the second year. Flight software will be developed and validated within the hardware-in-the-loop DAP flight simulator at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Atmospheric satellites represent a long-standing, grand challenge to the aeronautics community, and have enormous potential societal and economic impact. Such airborne platforms are expected to diversify and expand surveillance capabilities (e.g., NASA’s earth science missions) and communications bandwidth and availability (e.g., for underserved remote areas of the US, emergency communications), at a fraction of the cost of orbital satellite networks. Successful proof-of-concept DAP flight demonstrations are expected to lead to commercial investment to build a large scale prototype.
Citizen-Science Astronautics Program to Explore Intersections of Art and Science
March 18, 2016 March 17, 2016 News 1
PoSSUM students learn to operate space-qualified instrumentation in spacesuits. (Credit: Project PoSSUM)
BOULDER, Colo. , March 14, 2016 (Project PoSSUM PR) — Project PoSSUM announced today that it will host an interdisciplinary forum, titled “Project PoSSUM and the Art of Science Communication”, at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on April 9, 2016. The first of a series of workshops, this forum will focus on how astronautics enables science communication through human stories and artistic interpretation.
NASA Developing Flying Drones for Other Worlds
August 9, 2015 August 8, 2015 News 3
A prototype built to test Extreme Access Flyer systems in different environments. (Credits: NASA/Swamp Works)
By Steven Siceloff
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
Swamp Works engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are inventing a flying robotic vehicle that can gather samples on other worlds in places inaccessible to rovers. The vehicles – similar to quad-copters but designed for the thin atmosphere of Mars and the airless voids of asteroids and the moon – would use a lander as a base to replenish batteries and propellants between flights.
Terminal Velocity Aerospace to Demonstrate Payload Return Capsule
ATLANTA, GA, April 14, 2015 (TVA PR) – Terminal Velocity Aerospace, LLC (TVA) was recently selected by the NASA Flight Opportunities Program (FOP) for demonstration of a small payload return capsule and associated technologies via a high-altitude drop test. Flight test of the prototype capsule will demonstrate mission-enabling communications technologies and verify integrated performance, including functionality of its parachute recovery system. This activity is directly aligned with TVA’s efforts to develop a small reentry device, RED-4U, capable of returning the payload mass and volume equivalent of four or more CubeSats. In addition, as part of this drop test, a payload provided by Dr. Abba Zubair of the Mayo Clinic in collaboration with the Center for Applied Space Technology (CAST-ARMM) and Morehead State University will serve as a pathfinder for the transportation of high value space-based research products from space back to a terrestrial laboratory.
FSDC Urges Florida Legislators to Focus on Key Space Priorities
April 10, 2015 April 9, 2015 News 5
Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center
FSDC PR — The Florida Space Development Council has urged elected officials to provide more support to the space industry during the ongoing Florida Legislative Session. FSDC President Gabriel Rothblatt asked Senate and House leaders to take steps to diversify the state’s involvement in space research and technology development; continue financing programs for space industry growth; fund conversion of the Shuttle Landing Facility for new programs; establish a high school space education academy; and fund a demonstration program for space tourism and point-to-point spaceflight.
The five issues were prioritized by FSDC’s membership through an online survey. They were conveyed in letters to the Senate President, House Speaker, and appropriation subcommittee chairs.
A copy of the letter is below.
Florida Legislative Space Priorities Come Into View as Session Nears
February 26, 2015 February 25, 2015 News 0
February 23, 2015 (FSDC PR) — Florida’s 2015 Legislative Session will begin on March 3 and end on May 1 in Tallahassee. The biggest task for elected officials will be to approve a $77 billion spending plan, including millions of dollars for space-related programs. Governor Rick Scott in January revealed his proposed budget, which includes $12.5 million for Space Florida programs.
The Florida Space Development Council (FSDC) has tracked the progress of annual space-focused funding and policy issues in Tallahassee. FSDC is gearing up for the 2015 Session with an updated chart of space-related issues, a chart that is sure to evolve several times over the next two months.
FSDC 2015 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SPACE ISSUES
ISSUE/BILL HOUSE STATUS SENATE STATUS COMMENTS*
Space Florida Ops Budget ($10M) Included in Gov. Scott’s budget request, with $4M of recurring funding and $6M non-recurring.
Space Florida Financing/
Provided in 2014 but not included in Gov. Scott’s 2015 request. May be a legislative priority.
Space Transportation
Infrastructure Funding “TIP” program funded at $15M in 2014 within FDOT budget allocation. Status unclear for 2015.
Shuttle Landing Facility Transition ($2.5M) Proviso earmark of $2.5M in 2014, and intended for two years by sponsoring legislators. Status unclear for 2015.
Space Industry Tourism Funding ($1.5M) Included in Gov. Scott’s budget request. Continued funding for coordination with VISIT Florida to support tourism attractions and space tourism flight business.
Florida/Israel Joint Aerospace Development ($1M) Included in Gov. Scott’s budget request. Continued funding of joint aerospace projects with Space Florida and Israel.
Qualified Defense/Space
Contractor Tax Refund Incentive program requires statutory change to renew application window for companies to qualify for refunds.
Quick Response Training
(QRT) Incentive
Supported in 2014 by Gov. Scott. Status unclear for 2015.
Embry-Riddle high school aerospace academies Signed by Governor in 2014 as a recurring budget item to
support/expand network of high school aerospace academies.
* Note: Most budget items are subject to the Governor’s line-item veto authority.
Project PoSSUM Graduates First Class of Scientist-Astronauts
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., February 23, 2015 (Project PoSSUM PR) — Project PoSSUM, a non-profit suborbital research project devoted to the study of our upper atmosphere, announced today that it had graduated its first class of Scientist-Astronauts. The PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Qualification Program, designed by former NASA astronaut instructors and hosted by the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., provides its candidates with the skills required to effectively conduct research on commercial space vehicles as part of an international research campaign dedicated to the study of global climate.
PoSSUM, an acronym for Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere, uses commercial suborbital spacecraft and high-altitude manned balloons to study rare “space clouds” called noctilucent clouds. These elusive clouds can help scientists address critical questions about the Earth’s climate, but they can only be seen from polar latitudes during a small window of time in the summer. The project evolved from the Noctilucent Cloud Imagery and Tomography experiment, selected by NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program in March 2012 as experiment 46-S.
Project PoSSUM to Hold Scientist-Astronaut Class at Embry Riddle
Boulder, Colo., December 29, 2014 (Project PoSSUM PR) — Project PoSSUM, a non-profit suborbital research program, announces the first PoSSUM scientist-astronaut class to be held at the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., Feb. 7 – 10, 2015. This unique opportunity allows individuals to train with some of the world’s leading upper atmospheric scientists and to fly to space as part of an international research campaign dedicated to the study of global climate. The four-day, fully immersive qualification program was designed by former NASA astronaut instructors to provide its candidates with the skills required to effectively conduct research on commercial space vehicles as part of Project PoSSUM.
Final Frontier Design to Collaborate With NASA on Spacesuits
Spacesuit pressurization (Credit: Final Frontier Design)
BROOKLYN, NY and HOUSTON (FFD PR) — Final Frontier Design (FFD) is proud to announce the signing of a Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA to collaborate on the development, design review, and testing of its launch and re-entry space suit for orbital space flight.
NASA Funds Additional Smallsat Research Projects
August 11, 2014 August 9, 2014 News 0
Two three-unit (3U) CubeSats. At about a foot in length and four inches wide, these are similar in design to IceCube and the five selected heliophysics CubeSats. (Credit: NASA)
With CubeSats and other types of small satellites are being launched in increasing numbers, there’s a race on to develop new technologies to vastly improve their capabilities and extend their range to the moon, Mars and other deep space destinations.
NASA has been at the leading edge of this technology development effort. Last week, the space agency announced its plans to fund four small-satellite research projects. The projects include phase II funding for three Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program proposals and one NASA Innovative Advance Concepts (NIAC) proposal.
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Research ArticleGROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Auxin Metabolism in the Root Apical Meristem
Nancy M. Kerk, Keni Jiang, Lewis J. Feldman
Nancy M. Kerk
Keni Jiang
Lewis J. Feldman
Published March 2000. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.122.3.925
Copyright © 2000 American Society of Plant Physiologists
Within the root meristem of flowering plants is a group of mitotically inactive cells designated the quiescent center (QC). Recent work links the quiescent state to high levels of the growth regulator auxin that accumulates in the QC via polar transport. This in turn results in elevated levels of the enzyme ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO), resulting in a reduction of ascorbic acid (AA) within the QC and mitotic quiescence. We present evidence for additional interactions between auxin, AAO, and AA, and report that, in vitro, AAO oxidatively decarboxylates auxin, suggesting a mechanism for regulating auxin levels within the QC. We also report that oxidative decarboxylation occurs at the root tip and that an intact root cap must be present for this metabolic event to occur. Finally, we consider how interaction between auxin and AAO may influence root development by regulating the formation of the QC.
It has long been known that auxin is transported from the shoot to the root in a polar manner (Scott and Wilkins, 1968; Morris et al., 1969). However, little attention has been given to the fate of the auxin accumulating in the root tip. Since root cells are significantly more sensitive to auxin concentrations than are cells of the shoot (Thimann, 1937), it seems unlikely that high concentrations of auxin could be tolerated in a growing root tip.
Our previous work has provided evidence for polar transport of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and its accumulation in maize (Zea mays) root tips (Kerk and Feldman, 1994, 1995). We showed that this resulted in an increased level of ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO) mRNA, protein, and enzyme activity, as well as the localized depletion of ascorbic acid (AA) within the quiescent center (QC), a group of mitotically inactive cells within the root meristem. Since AA is necessary for the G1 to S transition in the cell cycle in root tips (Liso et al., 1988), and regulation of AA is thought to be dependent on AAO, we proposed that its depletion in root tips may be responsible for the formation and maintenance of the QC (Kerk and Feldman, 1995).
In the course of these experiments we discovered additional interactions between auxin and AAO. Using the radish (Raphanus sativus) root auxin bioassay system (Blakely et al., 1982), we found that increased levels of AAO in root segments in sterile culture decreased the response of radish roots to auxin. Moreover, if auxin is first reacted in vitro with AAO and then bioassayed, root cultures fail to exhibit a normal response.
Finally, we report on a possible mechanism underlying these auxin responses. We report here that AAO oxidatively decarboxylates auxin in vitro, suggesting a mechanism for regulating auxin levels within the QC and other root tissues. Oxidative decarboxylation occurs at the root tip, and an intact root cap must be present for this metabolic event to occur. These observations provide a robust model for the organization and functioning of the maize root tip, in which auxin transported from the shoot both regulates and is regulated by the level of AAO, which then regulates entry into the S phase by controlling levels of AA.
Plant Growth Conditions
Maize (Zea mays var Merit, Asgrow Seed Co., Kalamazoo, MI) caryopses were imbibed and germinated in the dark at 25°C for 2 d. Bioassays were carried out on 3-d-old radish (Raphanus sativus Scarlet Globe, Asgrow Seed Co., Kalamazoo, MI) roots. Radish seeds were surface-sterilized and germinated aseptically in the dark at 25°C for 3 d. The terminal 2- to 5-mm tips were removed and 1-cm segments were placed into liquid culture. Medium was complete Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) with added CuSO4, auxin, or auxin previously reacted with AAO, as reported in “Results.” AAO activity was assayed as described in Kerk and Feldman (1995).
In Vitro Auxin Metabolism
In a total volume of 0.5 mL, 10−7 to 10−8 m IAA (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis) ± 5-3H-IAA and/or 1-14C-IAA were incubated with 50 μm p-coumaric acid, 100 μmMn2+, and 25 units of AAO (Biozyme Labs, San Diego) in a 7 mm Na-phosphate buffer, pH 5.3, at 27°C in the dark on a shaker for 1 to 4 h. For assessing decarboxylation activity, aliquots were periodically removed from the incubation mixture and counted on a scintillation counter set (model 60001C, Beckman Instruments, Fullerton, CA) to separately window3H and 14C. To determine the degree to which this reaction is mediated by a copper-containing oxidase (such as AAO), we also performed the incubation in the presence of 1 to 5 mm bathocuproinedisulfonic acid (Sigma-Aldrich), a compound with high specificity for inhibiting copper-containing enzymes (Li et al., 1996), and in 1 mm diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) (Sigma-Aldrich), another copper-chelating agent and inhibitor of AAO (Wang and Fuast, 1992).
For HPLC analysis, the incubation mixture was acidified to pH 3.0, extracted three times against ethyl acetate, dried, solubilized in a small amount of methanol, and subjected to HPLC analysis on a HPLC (Kratos, Chestnut Ridge, NY) using a reversed phase small pore silica C18 10-μm column (4.6 mm × 25 cm; Vydac, Hesperia, CA) and a 40-min linear gradient of 5% to 30% (v/v) acetonitrile in 0.08% (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid with a flow rate of 0.7 mL/min; fractions were collected every 30 s. Elution profiles were obtained by monitoring at 254 nm, and fractions representing products of IAA catabolism were collected, characterized, and counted as described above. For each run typically 90% of the injected radioactivity was recovered. After identifying the radioactive elution profiles of the IAA metabolites, we scaled up the reaction 10× and repeated the previously described incubation but instead used non-radioactive auxin. The products were then separated by HPLC and the two fractions corresponding to the radiolabeled IAA metabolites collected and subjected to diffuse-reflectance Fourier transform infrared (IR) spectroscopy. In preparation for IR analysis, each HPLC fraction was dried down under a stream of N2 and the residue was dissolved in 20 μL of CH2Cl2. The solution was applied to powdered IR-grade potassium bromide in a 3-mm microsampling cup and the IR spectrum (32 scans) obtained after evaporation of the CH2Cl2. The same HPLC fractions were also examined using UV spectroscopic analysis.
In Vivo Auxin Metabolism
For monitoring in vivo auxin metabolism the terminal 2 cm of roots from aseptically grown maize seedlings were excised from 48-h-old seedlings and placed tip down into microfuge tubes containing 0.5 mL of one-half-strength MS medium, pH 6.8, supplemented with 1% Suc and 0.9% agar. For some experiments roots were decapped (Kerk and Feldman, 1995) prior to excising the terminal 2 cm, which, as before, were placed tip down into the microfuge tubes. On the basal cut surface (the surface protruding from the tube) was placed a 1% agar block (approximately 1 mm2) containing 1 × 10−9 mnon-radioactive IAA, plus 10−8 m5-3H-IAA (specific activity, 16.7 Ci/mm; Amersham) and/or 1-14C-IAA (specific activity, 9.4 mCi/mm; Sigma). The roots with the attached agar blocks were returned to a moistened chamber and incubated for 12 h in the dark. For most experiments 40 roots were used.
Following incubation the root was divided into three sections: the distal terminal millimeter, the subtending 1 cm (root minus terminal millimeter), and the 1- to 2-cm section contacting the agar block. The terminal millimeter and subtending 1-cm sections of roots were harvested separately, pooled, homogenized, extracted in 80% (v/v) methanol (McDougall and Hillman, 1978), and subjected to HPLC analysis as described above. Fractions were collected every 30 s. To determine whether any decarboxylation occurred,14C- and 3H-IAA in a known ratio were together incubated with root tissues. At the end of the 12-h incubation period, the ratios of 14C- and3H-IAA were compared for each fraction using a scintillation counter set to separately window 3H and 14C, and the counts were normalized for any change in the ratio (indicating a loss of 14C).14C-3H ratios were calculated after setting the background to 50 dpm.
Bioassay Results
Response of Cultured Roots to Exogenous IAA
To establish a baseline for experiments involving the interaction between IAA and AAO, we examined the effect of supplying IAA in vitro to radish root segments. Roots exposed to a range of concentrations of IAA initiated increasing numbers of lateral roots, but the outgrowth of these roots was progressively inhibited (Fig.1A). This result confirms the work of previous investigators (Blakely et al., 1982). Furthermore, we found that when roots that had produced laterals in response to a particular concentration of exogenous auxin were subsequently exposed to a higher concentration of IAA, numerous supernumerary lateral roots spaced between existing ones were formed (Fig. 1B).
Radish root segments cultured with IAA. A, Root segments cultured for 48 h in MS medium containing from left to right, 0, 1, 3, 10, and 30 μm IAA. Scale bar increments indicate 1 mm. B, Root segment cultured for 24 h in MS plus 3 μm IAA and then shifted to MS plus 30 μmIAA for 48 h. Scale bar increments indicate 0.5 mm.
Response of Cultured Roots to Increased AAO
Esaka et al. (1992) have demonstrated a marked increase in ascorbate oxidase protein in pumpkin cells by adding copper to the culture medium. We used this method to cause a 1.7-fold increase in AAO in seedling radish roots grown in culture supplemented with 10 μm CuSO4. We also measured the response of these roots to auxin by determining the lateral root frequency, which increases with auxin concentration (Blakely et al., 1982; Kerk, 1990) (Fig. 1A).
When auxin was added to the culture medium simultaneously with copper, there was no diminution in the number of lateral roots (Fig.2, A and B). However, when roots were preincubated in a copper-containing culture medium for 24 h before auxin was added, there was a significant decrease in the number of lateral roots produced, yet these roots were healthy and showed no toxic effect of the copper (Fig. 2C). This suggests that levels of AAO in root tissues affect the auxin response.
Radish root segments cultured in MS medium with 3 μm IAA only for 72 h (A); with 3 μmIAA and 10 μm CuSO4 added simultaneously for 72 h (B); roots incubated first for 24 h with 10 μm CuSO4 and then 3 μm IAA was added for a further 48 h (C).
In Vitro Reactions of IAA and AAO as Visualized by the Bioassay
Experiments were carried out to determine if AAO could directly react with auxin as a substrate. In vitro reactions were set up containing auxin and AAO in buffers and at concentrations comparable to those found at physiological conditions. The reaction mixtures were filter-sterilized and used as the auxin source for bioassays. Reaction mixtures with increasing units of AAO resulted in a marked decrease in the number of lateral roots and failed to inhibit tip growth, as would be expected in a standard auxin bioassay in roots (Fig.3, A–C). When the AAO was denatured by boiling before being reacted with IAA in the buffer, lateral root formation was similar to that in roots treated with IAA alone (Fig.3D).
Radish root segments cultured in MS and IAA, or IAA prereacted with AAO and then filter-sterilized and added to cultures. A, Effect of increasing concentrations of IAA. As the concentration is increased, tip growth becomes inhibited and lateral root frequency increases. B, Effects of IAA prereacted with increasing amounts of AAO. As AAO units are increased, inhibition of tip growth and lateral root frequency are decreased. C, Representative repetition of the effect on roots in culture with IAA pretreated with 5 units of AAO. The original tip region of the root before elongation growth in culture is marked by the swollen cortical region located proximally about one-third the distance to the present tip. D, Radish root segments cultured with 3 μm IAA reacted with 5 units of AAO previously boiled to denature the protein.
Tips of Lateral Root Primordia Lower the Effective Auxin Levels in Roots in Culture
Roots were cultured in 3 μm IAA. The tips of the lateral roots that developed in response to IAA treatment were excised and the roots were returned to the same culture medium. The roots with decapitated tips formed a large number of supernumerary laterals spaced between the stumps of the pre-existing laterals. In control roots in which needle punctures were made in the cortical region but tips were left intact (to simulate the wounding effect of decapitation), no supernumerary laterals were formed (Fig.4).
Effect of removing lateral root tips on new lateral root initiation. A, Root cultured for 5 d in MS plus 3 μm IAA. B, Root grown as in A, but after 5 d lateral root tips were clipped off, leaving stumps, and placed back in 3 μm IAA medium. New laterals were initiated at high frequency on the parent root.
Biochemical Results
The bioassay experiments described in the preceding sections have provided evidence that AAO and auxin interact to decrease the effective auxin concentration in roots. To investigate this reaction, its products, and the likely reaction mechanism, we examined HPLC profiles of reactions carried out with AAO and radioactively labeled auxin.
We identified two major metabolic products of the reaction that had a pH optimum of 5.3 (Fig. 5). The reaction was completely inhibited when DDC was added to the reaction mix (Fig.5). DDC is an inhibitor of AAO that chelates copper away from this blue copper protein, permitting the subunits to dissociate (Wang and Fuast, 1992). The addition of ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbate, and ascorbate free radical to reaction mixes with or without AAO had no effect on auxin metabolism (data not shown).
HPLC profiles of the reaction products of AAO and3H-IAA. The pH optimum was pH 5.3 and the inclusion of DDC, an inhibitor of AAO, completely blocked the reaction. Peak 2, IAA.
HPLC Elution Profiles of in Vitro 14C-IAA and/or 3H-IAA Catabolism
IAA is oxidatively decarboxylated in vitro by AAO, forming as one of the primary products oxindole-3-methanol (Figs.6 and 7). Identification of this compound was based on its IR spectrum (diffuse reflectance on powdered KBr) (3,397 cm−1 [OH], 3,207 cm−1 [NH], 1,704 cm−1, and 1,621 cm−1[C = O]) and on its UV spectrum (in methanol, λmax = 250 nm with a shoulder at 280 nm) (Hinman and Lang, 1965; Kobayashi et al., 1984). Additional support for this identification was obtained from the non-biological conversion of oxindole-3-methanol to a compound identified as 3-methyleneoxindole, based on its twin UV absorption peaks at λmax248 and 252 nm (Hinman and Lang, 1965). This in vitro activity is dependent on the addition of Mn2+ andp-coumaric acid (Fig. 6). The addition of bathocuproinedisulfonic acid, a compound with high specificity for inhibiting copper-containing enzymes, resulted in a decrease in the decarboxylation of IAA, suggesting that the decarboxylating activity was due to a copper-containing enzyme such as AAO (Li et al., 1996) (Table I).
AAO facilitates IAA decarboxylation. Oxidative decarboxylation of 1-14C-IAA, measured as a loss of14CO2. Data reflect the amount of radioactivity in a 75-μL aliquot after various periods of incubation with and without AAO and with and without co-factors (Mn2+ andp-coumaric acid).
HPLC elution profiles of in vitro14C-IAA and/or 3H-IAA catabolism. A, 5-3H-IAA plus Mn2+ plusp-coumaric acid. B, 5-3H-IAA plus Mn2+ plus p-coumaric acid plus AAO. C, 1-14C-IAA plus Mn2+ plusp-coumaric acid. D, 1-14C-IAA plus AAO plus Mn2+ plus p-coumaric acid. Peak 1, Oxindole-3-methanol, the primary in vitro catabolic product; peak 2, IAA; peak 3, 3-methyleneoxindole, a non-biological breakdown product of peak 1.
Effects of an inhibitor of copper-containing oxidases on IAA decarboxylation
HPLC Elution Profiles of in Vivo 14C-IAA and/or 3H-IAA Catabolism
At least 30% of polarly transported auxin is oxidatively decarboxylated in vivo by intact root tips (terminal millimeter) (Fig.8). Oxidative decarboxylation in the root occurs almost exclusively at the tip (Fig. 8). Excision of the cap prevents decarboxylation (Fig. 8).
HPLC elution profiles of 1-14C-IAA metabolites in various maize root tissues. Black portions for each curve represent the actual recoverable 14C counts in each fraction after a 12-h incubation. The white portions under the curve represent the 14C counts that would have been recovered had there not been any decarboxylation. To determine which fractions show decarboxylation, 1-14C- and 5-3H-IAA in a known ratio were together incubated with root tissues. At the end of the 12-h incubation period the ratios of 14C- and 3H-IAA were compared for each fraction and the curve normalized for any change in the ratio (indicating a loss of 14C) (white portion of the curve). The only significant changes in the ratio are in IAA metabolites in intact terminal millimeter root tissues. For all other treatments the ratios are more or less unchanged and the white and black curves overlap. Note that all root tissues completely catabolize the radiolabeled IAA.
The major findings reported here suggest that: (a) elevated levels of AAO in roots are correlated with a decreased auxin response, as visualized by bioassays in radish root culture; and (b) the decreased auxin response may be due to the fact that AAO oxidatively decarboxylates auxin. This reaction renders the reacted auxin ineffective in stimulating an auxin response in root cultures. Support for the likely occurrence of this reaction was demonstrated by in vitro experiments and in vivo through bioassays for auxin response and by recovering metabolites of radiolabeled auxin generated through oxidative decarboxylation in intact maize root tips. We suggest that AAO, previously reported to be highly expressed in the root meristem, may function in vivo in auxin catabolism. This was demonstrated visually in the bioassays.
In the experiment shown in Figure 4, the tips, or putative auxin-catabolizing regions were removed from laterals on a cultured parent root and the result was a dramatic production of supernumerary lateral root primordia on the parent root. If roots with an existing, stable pattern of lateral roots are shifted to medium with higher auxin concentration, as shown in Figure 1B, this same effect is demonstrated. Our interpretation of this tip removal experiment is that we have removed the main sites of auxin metabolism in root tissue and, once removed, the parent root is now in an environment of high auxin and reacts by organizing new lateral root meristems, thus generating new root tips to replace these sites of auxin catabolism.
Until recently, it was believed that there were two major mechanisms for auxin turnover in plants: (a) a peroxidase- and/or oxidase-mediated oxidative decarboxylation, resulting in a loss of the number 1 carbon (the carboxyl group) from the indole side chain; and (b) a non-decarboxylative pathway (Normanly, 1997; Östin et al., 1998). While the non-decarboxylative pathway is today accepted as the likely process mediating free auxin levels, the significance of the decarboxylation pathway has recently been challenged (Normanly, 1997;Östin et al., 1998). Because the products of in vitro decarboxylation could not be shown to occur in vivo (Reinecke and Bandurski, 1983; Ernstsen et al., 1987; Bandurski et al., 1995), oxidative decarboxylation is now considered an unimportant, perhaps even an artifactual, route for auxin turnover. The reason for this conclusion is evident when one considers the plant materials (primarily shoot tissues) recently used to study auxin catabolism (Normanly, 1997;Östin et al., 1998). Root tissues have rarely been employed, and, when occasionally used, either the terminal 1 to 4 mm was excised prior to initiating IAA turnover experiments or the entire plant was extracted, which could lead to a masking of any decarboxylation occurring in the small amounts of tissue comprising the root tips (Nonhebel et al., 1983; Sztein et al., 1995). Additionally, when decarboxylation products have been detected in extracts, these products have often been viewed as resulting from experimentally induced (artifactual) exposure of auxin to peroxidases (Bandurski et al., 1995;Normanly, 1997; Östin et al., 1998). However, our results support a specific (non-artifactual) capacity of root tips to decarboxylate IAA, as suggested by several previous investigators (Morris et al., 1969; Bourbouloux and Bonnemain, 1974; Pernet and Pilet, 1979).
Here we have shown that at least 30% of polarly transported auxin is oxidatively decarboxylated in vivo by intact root tips (terminal millimeter) (Fig. 8). Oxidative decarboxylation in the root occurs almost exclusively at the tip (Fig. 8). Excision of the cap prevents decarboxylation (Fig. 8). We also show that IAA is oxidatively decarboxylated in vitro by AAO, forming as one of the primary products oxindole-3-methanol (Fig. 7).
Although we have not yet identified the in vivo-generated, auxin-decarboxylated products, it is clear that decarboxylation is a significant route for free auxin turnover in root tips (as much as 30% of the auxin is oxidatively decarboxylated) (Fig. 8). Moreover, our results do not support the contention that these decarboxylated products arise from an artifactual mixing of IAA and a peroxidase/oxidase, because if this were so, decarboxylation of IAA in both intact and decapped root tips would have been seen, and instead decarboxylation only occurred in intact tips (Fig. 8).
Furthermore, recent data with transgenic plants show that significant alterations in endogenous peroxidases (increases or decreases) have no effect on endogenous auxin levels (Lagrimini et al., 1992). This was shown for either a 10-fold increase or a 90% decrease in peroxidase levels (Lagrimini et al., 1992). These data thus argue against the likelihood that the observed in vivo IAA decarboxylation was due to peroxidase activity.
Previously we advanced a model in which polarly transported auxin accumulated at the root apex, resulting in an enhancement in AAO activity, a localized depletion of AA, and as a consequence, the formation of the QC (Kerk and Feldman, 1995). Here we add an additional step to that model by presenting evidence that AAO can also metabolize auxin. We suggest that in the intact root tip, AAO functions as an auxin oxidase regulating endogenous auxin levels at the root tip. Our previous study localized high levels of AAO specifically in the QC and cap of intact root tips (Kerk and Feldman, 1995).
One way of integrating the proposed auxin/AAO interactions in regard to the maintenance of the QC is to suggest that a classical feedback loop involving AAO and auxin exists: high auxin enhances AAO activity, which leads to a decline in auxin, promoting a decline in AAO, allowing auxin levels to again increase (Fig. 9). Layered over this hypothesized feedback loop we suggest a parallel regulation in the levels of AA (Fig. 9). While it is widely known that AAO is present in most if not all higher plants, its regulation and biological function are not clearly defined (Arrigoni, 1994;Córdoba and González-Reyes, 1994; Smirnoff, 1996). That ascorbate is a substrate in vivo for AAO is highly probable (Avigliano and Finazzi-Agro, 1997). Recent data reported by Kato and Esaka (1996,1999) showed correlations between levels of AAO mRNA and ascorbate metabolism in synchronous, non-synchronous, and elongating cultured tobacco cells. Kato and Esaka (1999) proposed that AAO expression and metabolic reaction are under control of the cell cycle and may be involved in the process of cell elongation.
Hypothetical scheme of possible interactions between polarly transported auxin (IAA), AA, and AAO.
Our earlier data showing low levels of AA in regions with high AAO support this suggestion of cell cycle regulation of AAO, and as suggested earlier, could result in the formation of the QC. Therefore, the maintenance and functioning of the QC may be a consequence not only of the accumulation of auxin (Kerk and Feldman, 1995), but may also be a result of the regulation by auxin of an auxin-catabolizing enzyme. Whether AAO could regulate endogenous auxin levels within the QC has not yet been proven. However, its in vitro ability to oxidize auxin, its high concentration within the QC, and the property of auxin to regulate AAO mRNA and protein levels and activity (Esaka et al., 1992; Kerk and Feldman, 1995) argue in favor of in vivo catabolic interactions between AAO and auxin.
Many interrelated factors need to be considered when proposing a complex interaction between a hormone, an abundant metabolic enzyme, and the cell cycle. Kato and Esaka (1999) suggested a role for AAO-mediated metabolism in the apoplast during the process of cell elongation. Our findings showing a pH optimum of 5.3 for the oxidative decarboxylation of auxin are consistent with pH measurements in cell walls. In this regard, and considering the acid-growth hypothesis (Goodwin and Mercer, 1983), it is interesting to speculate on the possible metabolism of auxin in the walls by AAO. One could speculate that the subcellular pH and other forms of compartmentalization play important roles in favoring different phases of the feedback loop at different times of the cell cycle, in different regions of the cell, and even in different regions of the root.
Thus, while oxidative decarboxylation may be a minor pathway for regulating auxin levels in the whole plant, the occurrence of this pathway within the root may have consequences for root development. Determining whether this pathway operates in roots should provide an understanding of the establishment, maintenance, and function of the QC, and compartmentalization of the cap and other classic zones of the root such as the zone of elongation.
We thank Ian Sussex for discussions and review of the manuscript, Steve Ruzin for his gracious and skilled assistance in figure preparation, Larry Cool of the University of California Forest Products Laboratory for the IR analysis, Sarah Reisinger for assistance with AAO assays, Richard Malkin for biochemical advice, and Robert Bandurski for sharing his enthusiasm and thoughts on auxin metabolism.
↵1 This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (grant no. IBN–9404842).
↵2 Present address: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520–8104.
↵* Corresponding author; e-mail feldman{at}nature.berkeley.edu; fax 510–642–4995.
Accepted November 8, 1999.
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Location of Taj Mahal : TAJ MAHAL is located on the South Bank of river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA
Year of Construction : 1631 – 1653
Taj Mahal Built By : Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (Grandson of Emperor Akbar The Great)
Architect of Taj Mahal : Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
Taj Mahal Spread Over : 42 acres
Significance of Taj Mahal : A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World
Taj Mahal Visitor Information
Best time to visit Taj Mahal: Round the year (Except Fridays)
Timings of Taj Mahal : Every Day Sunrise to Sunset (Except Fridays)
Best way to reach Taj Mahal, Agra (Ex-Delhi)
By Road (Best Road Delhi to Agra)
Best Road link is via Yamuna Expressway. Delhi to Agra takes around 3 hrs. oneway.
By Rail (Best Tourist Train)
Best Tourist Train is operating between Delhi to Agra Starting from H. Nizamuddin Railway Station, in Delhi.
By Air (nearest Airport)
Best air connection is from Delhi Airport. which is 230 km (oneway).
Best day time to visit Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal at sunrise
Taj Mahal at sunset
Taj Mahal under Full Moon (8:30 PM to 12:30 AM on Full moon night, 2 days before and 2 days
after)
Entrance Fee (Taj Mahal) : (updated October 2016)
INR 1000 Per Person (Foreigner Tourist)
INR 530 Per Person (Citizen of SAARC Countries)
INR 40 Per Person (Indian National)
No Entry Fee for children below 15 years of age (Domestic or Foreigner)
Interesting Facts of Taj Mahal, Agra (a day trip to Taj Mahal)
✔ Emperor Shah Jahan was popularly known as Prince Khurram, before his accession to the throne.
✔ Arjumand Bano Begaum (Mumtaj Mahal) was third wife of Emperor Shah Jahan.
✔ As many as 28 different varieties of semi-precious and precious stones were used in Taj Mahal.
✔ Passages from Quran have been used as decorative elements throughout the Taj Mahal complex.
✔ 99 Names of Allah can be found as calligraphic inscriptions on the sides of actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal.
✔ Taj Mahal was built in stages, with the plinth and the tomb taking up around 15 years. Minarets,
✔ Mosque, Jawab and gateway took additional 5 years to be completed.
✔ Marbles of different types were brought from many different regions and countries – Rajasthan, Punjab, China, Tibet, Afghanistan, Srilanka and Arabia.
✔ During Indian rebellion of 1857, many precious stones and Lapis Lazuli (a semi-precious stone) were ripped off from its walls by the Britishers.
✔ Taj Mahal attracts 2 – 4 million visitors annually with over 200,000 from overseas.
The Taj Mahal of Agra – an example of how deeply a man loved his wife, even after she remained but a memory, he made sure that here memory would never fade away. This was Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who built Taj Mahal. Prince Shah Jahan met Mumtaz, at the age of 14, and fell in love with her. Five years later in the year 1612 they got married.
Mumtaj Mahal died in 1631 while giving birth to their 14th child. In the memory of his beloved wife, Shah Jahan built a magnificent monument – a tribute to her, which we know as Taj Mahal today and is one of the seven wonders of the world.
In 1631, construction of Taj Mahal was started. Many Artisans including Masons, Stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, Caligraphers, domebuilders from Central Asia and Iran were requisitioned. To complete An epitome of love, used services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants to complete Taj Mahal in 1653 after 22 years. An expenditure of approximately 32 million Rupees was spent that time.
Soon after completion of Taj Mahal, Emperor Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and was put under house arrest at Agra Fort. Shah Jahan died in 1666 in captivity and quietly laid beside Mumtaz. Besides Taj Mahal – One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Red Fort in Delhi, Jama Masjid of Delhi, Section of Agra Fort, The Wazie Khan Mosque and the Moti Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan, are some of the noble structures associated with the name of Shah Jahan – meaning “Kind of the World” in Persian.
Other Monuments in & around Agra
Agra Fort : This Agra Fort is similar in layout to the Red Fort in Delhi. Agra Fort was built between 1565 and 1571 by Emperor Akbar. Emperor Shah Jahan added to the fort and ended up a prisoner in this Fort. One a clear day, one can have a beautiful view of Shah Jahan’s masterpiece “Taj Mahal”.
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Same Day Taj Mahal Tour By Train + Car
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Solo: A Star Wars Story Starwars Black series Coming
In May 2018, Starwars having another movie from spin off story of Han Solo named Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Hasbro have just reveal the 6 inches Black series for this movie.
First is the young Han Solo with the actor Alden Ehrenreich.
The mother of Dragon, Emilia Clarke have an action figure in 6" for her as Qi’ra who will be the female lead in this episode.
Young Lando Calrissian with the actor Donald Glover still having much resemblance in his fashion sense like his older day in cloud city.
Finally a Imperial Range Trooper which look pretty cool in a cold climate.
These series should be releasing in March or early April 2018 depending which part of the world you are.
Anyone you like?
chrismandesign said…
I’m not much into the Star Wars craze, really, but looking at these figures I can say that Hasbro has improved quite a bit the quality, sculpt and likeness of the figures with the actual characters... It’s kind of tempting, at least slightly, HEHE !!!...
The last time watching Emilia Clarke in sci-fi movie was Terminator and now Star Wars. Black series has good articulation and I think the trooper will again be the one first to gone from shelf again lolz.
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Wolf Spider Scientific Name: Lycosidae
Wolf Spider Facts
The Wolf Spider didn’t get its name because it howls at the moon, disguises as your Grandma, or blows down pig dwellings. Rather, the nocturnal Wolf Spider is an agile hunter, searching out and consuming its prey at night instead of luring it into a web, like other spiders (and yes, like a wolf). Wolf spiders are speedy little spiders; they have been known to move at a speed of two feet per second.
Wolf Spider Identification
The full-grown Wolf Spider ranges in size from ½ inch to over an inch, and up to 4 inches when legs are spread. It is gray to brown in color with bristles on its body and legs. The Wolf Spider has an excellent sense of sight, perhaps related to its nocturnal hunting habits. Wolf Spiders have eight eyes (all the better to see you!) arranged in three rows: the top row contains two medium-sized eyes, the middle row two large eyes, and the bottom row 4 small eyes. The eyes of a Wolf Spider also have reflective properties; if light is shined in their eyes at night they will produce a sort of glow that is easily distinguishable.
Because Wolf Spiders are hunters, they tend to be colors that blend in to their habitat. Camouflaging themselves for protection while on the hunt for prey, Wolf Spiders do not display bright colors like some other spider species. Most Wolf Spiders have white or black markings or lines on the upper side of their bodies.
Wolf Spider Habitat
The habitat of the Wolf Spider ranges from woodlands that are dry and shrubby to wet, coastal forests. Wolf Spiders live in both coastal and inland habitats.
The Wolf Spider is one of the few types of spiders that do not spin a web. Instead, the Wolf Spider dwells on or under the ground, with a burrow as its retreat. Around the home the Wolf Spider will make a burrow in gardens, lining its burrow with silk. Unlike wolves (the kind that howl at the moon and disguise as your Grandma), the Wolf Spider is a solitary creature. It tends to live alone and is nomadic, remaining in one burrow only long enough to hunt its food.
Wolf Spiders feed primarily on insects, but some larger Wolf Spiders may eat small vertebrates. To consume its victim the Wolf Spider will inject its venom, paralyzing or killing it. The Wolf then proceeds to liquefy the contents of its prey (all the better to digest it!).
Wolf Spider Life Cycle
Female Wolf Spiders carry their egg sac on their backs. The egg sac is a globe-shaped specimen made of silk and attaches to the end of the abdomen of the spider; most likely to accommodate the Wolf’s tendency to wander. Once the egg sac is hatched, the spiderlings emerge from the egg sac only to crowd onto her abdomen, hitching a ride there until they are partially grown.
The typical male Wolf Spider will live less than a year; females sometimes live for several.
Are Wolf Spiders Venomous?
Wolf Spiders are venomous in the sense that they will eject venom into their victim with their bite, but a Wolf Spider bite is rarely dangerous and not lethal. The Wolf Spider is aggressive more to insects than to humans, but if provoked will bite humans. Bottom line: don’t dress up in a red hood and ask them questions – they may grow aggravated!
Symptoms of a Wolf Spider bite include swelling, mild to sharp pain, and itching. The bite of a Wolf Spider has been likened to a wasp sting. Necrosis, or tissue damage, has been reported in conjunction with the bites of some South American species of the Wolf Spider. These instances, however, are most likely attributed to misidentification of the species.
Wolf Spider Bites Treatment
First, where possible, catch the little guy and identify it positively as a Wolf Spider. Bites from other spiders could be more serious. Don’t rush to the ER if it is indeed a Wolf Spider that has bitten you: rubbing toothpaste or baking soda on the bite can reduce swelling and pain. Apply an ice pack to help the swelling go down and take a Tylenol if the pain is persistent. If the redness and swelling spread beyond the initial bite, seek medical attention.
Wolf Spider Control
Remember how the Wolf in “The Three Little Pigs” wanted so badly to come inside? Well the Wolf Spider is kind of like that. It lives outside, but will do just about anything to come inside. The Wolf Spider is most commonly found outdoors in garden areas, so control efforts should be concentrated to the exterior of the home and entrance points. Most spiders must be controlled with direct contact; they do not clean themselves like insects and therefore take longer to be affected by the chemicals:
Pesticides should create a barrier around flowerbeds and garden areas; they should be applied until the area is damp. Wolf Spiders tend to reside in mulch and other garden materials.
Spray around potential entrances: A professional will spray around doors, windows, and plumbing lines.
Harborage Sites like rain gutters, tree limbs, retaining walls, and rocks are favorite places for the Wolf Spider. Spraying these areas are sure to target the Wolf.
Think of the Wolf Spider as one of those guys who lives for the deer hunt in October. They are avid hunters, like to be alone, remain outside wherever possible, and use camo to keep themselves hidden from their prey. They’re hairy and fast, and if provoked will react. Keep your garden tidy and entrances sealed to keep the Wolf from blowing your house down.
Brown Widow
Sun Spider
Spider Traps
Ultimate spider Identification guide
Top 10 Bug Movies
Black Widows vs. Scorpions
What do spider bites look like?
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The AMA Releases Outline for Key Health Issues in Upcoming Federal Election
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has released a document that sets out what the AMA and the medical profession believe needs to be done to keep Australia’s health system the ‘best in the world’.
The document is a summary of the major health issues that the AMA considers must be addressed by the major parties during the election campaign and into the next term of government, whichever party wins.
The AMA President, Dr Tony Bartone, stated when he released the document that health policy will be a vital factor in the outcome of the 2019 Federal Election. Dr Bartone was quoted, “health policy influence votes at every election, and doctors are very good judges of health policy.”
The report outlines the key issues in health to be:
General Practice and primary care;
Public hospitals;
A futureproofed Medicare;
Medical care for older Australians;
Private health;
Diagnostic imaging;
Pathology;
Task substitution;
Mental health;
Asylum seeker and refugee health;
Climate change and health;
Indigenous health;
Prevention;
Obesity;
Alcohol;
Addiction;
Immunisation;
Rural health;
Medical workforce; and
Supporting GP training
With special emphasis on ensuring the next government to renew its commitment to prevention. Stating in their report that as a nation, more needs to be done to educate people to adjust their lifestyles to improve their health. Requiring a nationally-coordinated education and information programs, and cooperation and coordination across all levels of government.
The AMA is the most influential membership organisation representing registered medical practitioners and medical students of Australia. The body will urge the major parties to adopt the policies and recommendations outlined in the document.
The full report can be found on the Official AMA Website (www.ama.com.au)
Catherine King – Australia’s Alternative Health Minister
National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030
Labor’s New Shadow Minister for Health Chris Bowen
Author TeamPosted on June 6, 2019 June 8, 2019 0
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Chambers welcomes Daniel Burton as new junior tenant
We are pleased to announce that Daniel Burton has joined chambers with effect from 1st October 2011.
Radcliffe members gain 41 recommendations in the new Legal 500
The new edition of The Legal 500 2011 notes that Radcliffe Chambers is ‘easy to deal with, flexible and helpful’ and ‘always provides a good quality of service’.
Alexander Forbes Trustee Services Ltd. v John Doe & Richard Roe
On 5 September 2011 in the High Court in Birmingham Keith Rowley QC appeared for the well known litigant Richard Roe at a hearing to determine how regulation 13 of the Occupational Pension Schemes (Winding Up) Regulations 1996, SI 1996/3126, affects the application of money purchase assets on the winding up of two hybrid pension schemes.
Judgment in Houldsworth v Bridge Trustees [2011] 1 WLR 1912
The Supreme Court today handed down its judgment in Houldsworth v Bridge Trustees Ltd (the Imperial Home Décor Pension Scheme). Keith Rowley QC appeared for the trustee of the scheme.
Judgment in Serious Organised Crime Agency v Szepietowski [2011] EWCA Civ 856
Kate Selway is SOCA’s junior counsel in the long-running Szepietowski litigation which has produced a number of reported High Court decisions in the last few years.
Judgment in Green v Montagu [2011] EWHC 1856 (Ch)
William Moffett and Thomas Dumont appeared in this application for directions as to whether the illegitimate children of the 13th Duke of Manchester can safely be benefited from the 10th Duke’s Settled Estates.
Judgment in Shovelar v Lane [2011] EWCA Civ 802
Grant Crawford appeared for the successful appellants in this case, concerning the appropriate costs order following a claim based on mutual wills.
Judgment in Siaw v Lock [2011] EWHC 2926 (Ch)
Kate Selway represented a respondent Court appointed receiver in a Chancery Division appeal before Norris J that challenged the receiver’s power to compromise a claim made against an estate.
Tom Beasley and Steven Barrett join Radcliffe Chambers
Two new tenants, Tom Beasley and Steven Barrett (both formerly of 33 Bedford Row), have joined us with effect from today, 20th June 2011.
Judgment in Millburn-Snell v Evans [2011] EWCA Civ 557
Joshua Winfield represented the respondent in this case, which concerned the ability of personal representatives to bring proceedings before obtaining a grant of letters of administration.
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Vodafone’s Smart Tab 10 pops up in Ireland
HOME > Vodafone’s Smart Tab 10 pop...
+Lewis Curdie Nov. 17, 2011 at 11:00 More articles by Lewis Curdie
We were first introduced to Vodafone’s Smart Tab 7 and Smart Tab 10 (no prizes for guessing the display sizes) back in September. With all the hullaballoo over the Samsung Galaxy Note at IFA, we’ll admit to completely neglecting Vodafone’s tablet offerings.
However, it was confirmed shortly afterwards that they’d be coming to the UK at some point, and now the Vodafone Smart Tab 10 has popped up in Ireland.
The Smart Tab 10 has appeared on the Vodafone Ireland website, and the network tells us that it’s “coming soon” and “designed with you in mind”. Aww, thanks, Vodafone.
Back in September, Vodafone Germany told us to expect a 1280x800 resolution, the option for 16 or 32GB internal storage, a Qualcomm 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and a 5MP/2MP camera combo. That doesn’t sound too bad, actually.
Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) was initially touted for OS duties, and we’d be seriously surprised if there was any mention of Ice Cream Sandwich any time soon.
We’ll be keeping one eye on Vodafone’s UK site for more info. In the meantime, if you happen to be in Ireland (Jan), you can register your interest right here.
Read more about: Android, Vodafone
JanSt / MOD Nov. 17, 2011 at 11:23
o_O If you knew Vodafone Ireland, you'd know how pointless it is to "register interest"...or, indeed anything. Vodafone Ireland's website has NOT worked in 6 years. It is the allround laughing stock.
Still, to please you I registered as Lewis Curdie My pleasure!
o_O If you knew Vodafone Ireland, you'd know how pointless it is to "register interest"...or, indeed anything. Vodafone Ireland's website has NOT worked in 6 years. It is the allround laughing stock. Still, to please you I registered as Lewis Curdie :p My pleasure!
lcurdie / MOD Nov. 17, 2011 at 12:19
Sonofa...
Sonofa... oO
Lighten up, I never received any updates when registering my interest - told you: useless website
Lighten up, I never received any updates when registering my interest - told you: useless website :p
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Vodafone Smart Tab 4G is the network’s 'best ever tablet'
Vodafone Smart Tabs coming to UK (1 comment)
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Friday 7th. November, 2014 – The Pine Palace takes shape
Saturday 27th. December, 2014 – The Partying Continues
Sunday 1st. February, 2015 – So much to hope for ... but not today!
Tuesday 3rd. December, 2013 -- An Expedition (without going very far)
Friday 6th. December, 2013 – We have a very good day
Friday 31st. January, 2014 – It has got extremely cold today
Thursday 30th. January, 2014 – Rowan’s sister Daisy comes to visit
Wednesday 29th. January, 2014 – Another great day
Tuesday 28th. January, 2014 – A thoroughly good day
Monday 27th. January, 2014 – Like the Curate’s Egg: good in parts
Sunday 26th. January, 2014 – Rachel looks after the music
Saturday 25th. January, 2014 -- Burns Night
Friday 24th. January, 2014 – We celebrate Burns with the young folk of Our Lady and St. Patrick’s High School
Thursday 23rd. January, 2014 – Working on Mum’s Morning Room
Wednesday 22nd. January, 2013 – A Visit to the Dentist (and the Doctor too)
Tuesday 21st. January, 2014 – Another job done
Monday 20th. January, 2014 – I learn new skills
Sunday 19th. January, 2014 A real Sunday – and with Sunday lunch as well!
Saturday 18th. January, 2014 – A real Saturday at last!
Friday 17th. January, 2014 – What a lot we got done
Thursday 16th. January, 2014 – Chaos
Wednesday 15th. January, 2014 – A Good Day
Tuesday 14th. January, 2014 – And it’s back to where I started!
Monday 13th. January, 2014 – Cold, and frosty as well
Sunday 12th. January, 2014 – It’s cold!
Saturday 11th. January, 2014 -- Spring Cleaning has begun
Friday 10th. January, 2014 – An evening of wonderful music
Thursday 9th. January, 2014 – Success!
Wednesday 8th. January, 2014 – Rolling along
Tuesday 7th, January, 2014 – Life resumes after a wonderful Christmas holiday
Monday 6th. January, 2014 – The Twelfth Day of Christmas and the decorations have to come down
Sunday 5th. January, 2013 – Epiphany, the eleventh day of Christmas and a day of working in the summer house
Saturday 4th. January, 2013 – The Tenth Day of Christmas
Friday 3rd. January, 2014 – The Ninth Day of Christmas and a very windy one
Thursday 2nd. January, 2014 – The Eighth Day of Christmas and the fun just goes on
Wednesday 1st. January, 2014 – New Year’s day and the seventh day of Christmas
Tuesday 31st. December, 2013 – Hogmanay and the Sixth Day of Christmas
Friday, January 10, 2014, 10:05 PM
A view of the early morning sun as Mix and I walked the Swinton Road this morning
Got up and walked Mix. It was crisp and clear and the sun was just beginning to shine through the trees in that wintery, watery way which is so unique to this time of year – turning so many trees into silhouettes because the sun is so low in the sky.
Invigorated, I breakfasted in the farmhouse. Tom arrived. I hadn’t expected that, but in fact he had come to collect his tools because he was going to make a new gate, the previous one having been vandalised by his goats who have come into season and as a result are particularly frisky.
I worked on organising (or rather continuing to organise – it will be a long job) the summer house and, in parallel, to tidy my former study. I got on well and now, indeed, have a coffee machine installed. Got involved in a number of phone calls, mostly sorting out orders and things of that nature. In the middle of the afternoon Mix and I went for our afternoon perambulation and when I returned I got ready to go to Berwick with Rachel. I got photos taken in a machine in ASDA so that I could send one to have my driving licence renewed. It seems that after a number of years one’s picture has to be replaced. I must say that I think the picture on my licence looks more like me than the one I had taken today. Still, they say the camera cannot lie.
After a visit to Curry’s to buy a computer printer and some ink, Rachel and I had something to eat at Marks and Spencer before making our way to the Maltings in Berwick. This is our local theatre and it is really doing rather well. We arrived at six for a seven o’clock performance to discover the place awash with young people who had come to see a Disney film called Frozen. I gathered that the performance was a sell-out. We went to the bar for a drink before making our way to the studio theatre. This, too, was a sell-out and was, we were told by the Director, the first time there had been classical music played at the Maltings for seven years. It was absolutely excellent, The Royal Northern Sinfonia have the only salaried Chamber Orchestra in Britain and they did not disappoint. The group who entertained us played three of Dvorak’s Cypresses (love songs) and followed this with Mozart’s quartet in Bb major – The Hunt.
During the interval the ‘cellist came out and chatted with the audience (he actually came to take a picture of the venue – so I thought I could do the same)
The second half was taken up with Dvorak’s string quintet in G major. The acoustics of the studio are marvellous and the playing of the quintet superb. I was taken with the clarity of each of the instruments and the ease with which the different parts came soaring through. There is a beauty in the form and order of a quintet as well as the opportunity for virtuosity which is different from full orchestral pieces and this was a superlative performance. I loved it.
As we drove home from Berwick there just happened to be a ‘Points of View’ essay in words by John Gray. His thesis was that it’s not the things that we don’t know we don’t know that harm us so much as the things we do know but choose not to know. He built his argument from the invasion of Iraq and the ‘decision’ not to know about what would happen after the invasion, through the collapse of Wall Street to our present failure to face up to the changing financial situation in which we live today. It was well reasoned and argued and really quite compelling. As we drove through the gate at Mount Pleasant a Professor from Princeton (which made my ears prick up) starting a series on the similarities and differences between the peoples of the United Kingdom. I heard only the opening moments of the programme but I heard enough to think that tomorrow when I am having lunch I might try to catch it on the BBC I-player – isn’t technology wonderful?
I watched Newsnight which was a real reflection of the world's woes as it concentrated first on the police admission that some of the evidence against Andrew Mitchell in the Plebgate row had been fabricated. That's a shorthand summary and some would argue with it but it is a bad day for the Police and regardless of what people say it must undermine confidence in the Police. That is nothing short of tragic. Then we were taken to Paris and an alleged affair involving the President, and a magazine editor's decision to publicise it in spite of the rigid privacy laws in that country. I walked Mix before retiring to bed – the music of Dvorak (rather than the frailties of human nature) ringing in my head. What a wonderful day.
Thursday, January 9, 2014, 10:13 PM
Lunch time at Pearson’s
I’m writing this entry, as planned, from the summerhouse. That doesn’t mean to say that the summer house has been completed, far from it, there are still a number of tasks to complete: but I have moved in. My desk is here, my armchairs are in place and just a few books grace the bookshelves. Tom spent much of the morning fitting the window furniture while I acted as his assistant.
Having completed the task by lunchtime, Rachel, Tom and I went off to Pearson’s to buy some bits and pieces we required and while we were there we stopped for lunch. It was good: cauliflower and cheese soup, followed by macaroni and cheese with salad.
Back at the summerhouse we sorted out the door (which needed re-hung) and then installed beading to cover the electric cables which have been put in. We also now have both telephone and an internet connection. So we are ready to go. As the afternoon wore on and our tasks had been completed, Tom returned home to feed the goats and check on the chickens. I went into the barns and found a little table which is just right for the corner of the summerhouse. By tomorrow it will have the coffee machine Rachel bought me sitting on it and we will have advanced another step towards civilization. I spent the rest of the afternoon (and into the evening) installing the computer and now you are seeing the results. I can communicate again.
I dined with Olive, Digger and Mum in the farmhouse (this too was excellent -- sausage and potato wedges followed by winter fruit crumble with custard and ice cream); Rachel missed out as she had gone off to Berwick with Bridget (a lady from Gavinton) to join a choir who are, if I have got this right, going to sing the Chichester Psalms. Rachel enjoyed her evening and is already missing the Festival Chorus of which she was a member for very many years. She made up for missing supper with two baked potatoes and a panettone for desert. I had spent the evening starting on reorganising the study in the granary (which will soon not be the study). It will be a long job. Then I came back over to the summerhouse to prepare this entry before walking Mix around the estate and retiring to bed. There is much to do and, even in retirement, the days are too short! Now who would have thought that. I haven’t a clue what is on the agenda for tomorrow but it will be fun.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014, 10:30 PM
We gathered around the farm table for an early tea this evening
Woke early and went out with the dog. After two weeks when there has been no traffic at all on the roads, things are now quite busy between 8.30 and a quarter to nine: I suppose that it is people driving into Duns for work or for school. Discovered today that quite soon all traffic down the Duns road will stop for eight weeks because repair work is to be carried out on the bridge over the river Blackadder. We will have to find alternative ways of getting to Duns and to Gavinton. We’ll do some experimenting this week so that we are prepared.
I was just finishing breakfast when Tom arrived and we spent a chunk of the day fitting the catches and so on (it’s called window furniture, I’m told) to the summer house windows. There are so many windows that there will be more to do later in the week but we stopped at lunchtime because Tom was taking Dorothy into Berwick to catch a train to visit her folks.
I started work in one of the barns, identifying boxes with books in them and taking them to the summer house and putting the books on the shelves. This is going to be a really long job as I am trying to sort them all out as I go, but once it is done it will be superb. Carried on by torchlight once it got dark and then found a table to bring up to my study so that I can clear the desk before taking it out to the summerhouse tomorrow. It was tiring stuff and I was ready for our early tea at the farmhouse. Tomato and coriander soup, followed by fishcakes (with Thai chilli sauce) and then apple strudel with custard (and ice cream for those who wanted it – Digger and me).
After tea I ran Mum into Duns to attend the Duns Church Guild – it was her second trip of the day as earlier she had been to the local reading group at the Duns Library. Mum’s good news is that she has sold her flat in Kirkcaldy so that everything that we set out to do in terms of moving here has now been achieved.
Back in the Granary I started work on dismantling the study. Heavens, I’ve only been here for a couple of months, how can it be such a big job? And why is it that everything today has wires attached? After I post this entry I shall be disconnecting my computer. I hope that it will be working again by tomorrow – I have taken the precaution of doing the music for Arrochar this evening and sending it off already. But with a bit of luck I will be operational by tomorrow night.
Once all that was done, and feeling as if it has been a very long day, I walked Mix before bed. He has become such a very good dog, happily sitting for hours while I sorted out books; equally happily making the most of it as I dismantled the study around him and as I write, lying sound asleep on his cushion under the table I have brought in to store everything that was on my desk. If only the Dog’s Trust could see him now.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014, 11:31 PM
Relaxing in a fully carpeted summerhouse
The title of this entry is, I suppose, accurate, except for the fact that now I seem to be on holiday for always. Certainly it feels like holiday and, not only that, but a really good holiday as well.
Today the task was to turn the summer house from a project into a building which could be used. We met at nine – by that time I had walked Mix and declined breakfast on the basis that I seem to have put on a stone and a half since retiring. By the middle of the afternoon we had laid a carpet with underfelt and a lovely chocolate top covering and we had installed the bookcases and fitted them to the walls and to each other. We had found two armchairs in the barns, excavated for a small octagonal table and also located the small library steps which were part of my study at Wemyss. Rachel did a great job of restoring the furniture and just as darkness was falling I was able to get a picture of Tom and Rachel sitting in the summer house with a carpet on the floor (and a glimpse of bookcases behind). Rachel is clutching triumphantly the carpet fitting tool which I bought off the internet last week and which proved to be a wonderful addition to our collection of tools. It really made stretching the carpet so much easier than would otherwise have been possible. So if you know of someone who needs a carpet fitted, I know of a team who could do it for you!
As darkness fell I came back into the Granary and showered before spending some time on my Italian revision and some in learning to play my Christmas ukulele. We all dined together in the farmhouse: fish-pie with broccoli, followed by apple pie with custard and ice cream. Very Yummy.
Back in the Granary I spent a bit more time with my ukulele before joining Rachel to watch Murder at 1600, an American thriller, filmed in 1997, which was really rather good. We walked the dogs – it is fair, not too much wind and just a small moon meaning that the night sky was really quite dark. It has been a fabulous day.
Monday, January 6, 2014, 10:55 PM
Mum and Rachel
Mum and Rachel have gathered before dinner for a preprandial sherry. Of course, as it is Twelfth Night all of the Christmas decorations have had to come down and Mum is sitting re-reading her collection of Christmas Cards. Every year she seems to send more than ever before but it is something she really enjoys doing. Today was also the anniversary of her wedding to my father sixty-nine years ago. They were married in Glasgow and travelled by train to Skipton for an onward journey, the following day, to Ilkley Moor.
Today was the day of the deliveries here in Mount Pleasant in 2014. The carpet for the summer house was delivered in the afternoon and the furniture for the summerhouse windows arrived in the same van. A small start to my collection of tools also arrived as did another book from Amazon, so we are keeping the van delivery system busy. Everything is now ready in the summer house for an early start to carpet-laying tomorrow morning. Rachel and Tom are on stand-by and I am really quite excited.
Today we worked on the electrics and also on some of the finishes. I learned how to use a saw. That’s true. I’ve had a saw in my hands many times in the past fifty years but I have never really known what I was doing with it. Today Tom taught me and I’ve got quite a sense of achievement in my little steps forward. I got quite cross that my own saw hasn’t yet arrived!
After dark I spent some time practising my ukulele and then in revising some of my Italian grammar (my two frivolous resolutions for this year). In the overall world view they are frivolous, but for me, newly retired, they are anything but and I am enjoying having time to devote to such things more than I can express. I have also decided to relearn the different parts I have sung in Gilbert and Sullivan – now I am really going back to far off days -- but singing is good for you, and I used to get so much pleasure from taking part in shows in our local theatre. It is easy to see why for so many people once they retire there is no time to do all that they want to do. It is quite easy for me just now because I get outside ‘to work’ in the daylight and then come in when it get dark and have a couple of hours before dinner to enjoy these new hobbies. What it will be like in the summer when the nights are light and the pull of cricket draws me down to Chester le Street I really don’t know; and there will be boats and barges to be sailed and dogs to be walked. Retirement has so much to recommend it!
After supper at the farmhouse Rachel and I watched Bletchley Circle – a mini-series set in London in the 1950s and based on a group of former code-breakers who have got together to try to save a colleague before she is executed – yes, we used to do things like that in our country too. The programme was very good.
Afterwards I walked the dog and was glad to get to bed.
Sunday, January 5, 2014, 10:59 PM
Mum visits the workers at the summerhouse – it was cold as evidenced by Mum’s woolly hat (look carefully and you will see my reflection in the window)
Rose and walked Mix before showering and enjoying breakfast in the farmhouse. Mum, Rachel and I drove to Gavinton to attend morning service. Today was Epiphany Sunday (Epiphany itself is tomorrow) and Ann presented her final service in three parts (during Advent and the Christmas season every Sunday service has been in three sections). Her themes this morning were entitled ‘The dawning of a new day (or year)”, ‘the light of God’s justice’ and ‘the light of the new baby’. During her first meditation Ann read from the prophet Isaiah reminding us that he was the first prophet to look forward to God intervening personally in the story of the world – a prophecy which was eventually fulfilled in the person of Jesus, the light of the world. We too are called to be light to the world and are challenged today to reach out to others using our gifts to share in the ‘showing forth of who God is’ which is the meaning of this season of Epiphany. In her second thought Ann reminded us that there is a difference between power and justice. When we pray for our political leaders, our prayer is that they will use their power justly and for the benefit of those who stand in need of that justice. The Magi were non-Jews from a far country -- God's love is for everyone, our faith is a universal one. Finally Ann read a meditation on the Magi and their gifts – quite inappropriate gifts for a young child were it not that they pointed forward to all that he was: a king whose sacrificial death would destroy death itself. We sang Christmas carols for what I suspect will be the final time this season and the young student playing the organ, Valerie, played a lovely Irish folksong as the offering was being gathered.
Following the service we went for coffee in the Church hall and then returned to Mount Pleasant. My first task was to collect some of the bits and pieces from the summerhouse in preparation for all that was planned for this week. Tom arrived and we fitted the skirting board and then, having visited Pearson’s to buy some more bits and bobs, we started to fit the main light. Meanwhile Rachel was fixing the final positions of the blinds and filling any small holes which remained.
We were finally defeated by the dark with the wiring not completed. We’ll pick that up tomorrow when we also hope to take delivery of the carpet and the fixings for some of the windows. I’m excited already!
In Church this morning, Ann spoke briefly about resolutions for the New Year. I have never made many resolutions, probably because I have always been too busy and I’ve known that I would be too busy all year. But this year is different. I have decided that during this year I would like to rediscover my Italian language. Once upon a time I was proficient, but that was many years ago. I thought I would like to attend a course in one of the Borders Colleges but I can’t find a course in Italian anywhere – Polish, French, Chinese, German and many others, but not Italian. I explored the idea of an internet course but I can’t really find anything I like. Rachel thinks that I should order a regular Italian magazine and read it from cover to cover. I’ll work on it and see what I can come up with.
I have also resolved to learn to play my new ukulele with some degree of proficiency – that will take practice, so I’ll need to devote a bit of time each day to that. And I am going to learn my building skills. The summer house will soon be completed and then we shall move on to the Hen House which will involve real building skills. I’m collecting the tools, I’ve got Tom as my instructor and I’ll record my progress on these pages: retirement really is great fun!
Rachel went off to the evening service at the Anglican Church in Berwick while I looked after the dogs and got things in order for tomorrow. On her return we dined in the farmhouse and then Olive and Mum joined us in the Granary for the second part of Death Comes to Pemberley. We all enjoyed it so much that we sat tight and watched the final part as well. It was a pleasant way to spend the first Sunday evening of a New Year.
Unfortunately, I must also record that England lost the final Test match in Australia today and that even although Ben Stokes did well and Scott Borthwick didn’t do too badly for his first Test, the series has been a disaster for England. And all this just when I finally have time to watch the matches on television and spend time at the cricket down at Chester le Street. Ah well.
We walked the dogs; by now there was snow blowing through the wind. I don’t expect that it will come to anything but we are certainly aware of the elements down here. I’m getting to bed early again tonight – tomorrow will be a big day.
Saturday, January 4, 2014, 10:35 PM
Four generations of the Whiteman family who worked Mount Pleasant Farm and lived in the farmhouse a long time ago (pictured at the then front-door of the farmhouse)
It is in the Pirate of Penzance by WS Gilbert that the Major General comes to humble himself before the tombs of his ancestors for the crime of having told lies to escape the clutches of the Pirates. It is pointed out to him that as he has only bought the property a year before, these ancestors can hardly be his. His response is that as he had bought the property he had inherited the ancestors with it. He was, in a lovely turn of phrase, their ‘descendent by purchase’.
In as much as there is any truth in that nonsense, the family at the head of this entry are our ‘ancestors by purchase’. All I know is that they are described as being four generations of the Whiteman family and that they farmed and lived here in times gone by. I would love to know more about them.
Back to the present day. I rose and breakfasted and then Mix and I walked before moving to the summer house where my task for today was to fit blinds in all the windows. The first one took me ages, largely because I hadn’t a clue what I was doing. But I worked it out and eventually became quite proficient at it. Practice and experience, it seems, are everything.
Digger arrived to say that his motor bike wouldn’t start. As if summoned like the genie from a magic lamp Tom and Dorothy arrived and it wasn’t long before Tom had the bike started and Rachel had pumped up the tyre which was flat and off Digger went, only to return quite quickly because it seems that the tyre has a puncture.
I returned to blind-fitting and soon had the task completed. Rachel joined me and did some filling in of tiny imperfections with wood filler. Everything is starting to look very good.
Mix and I went for another walk and soon afterwards we set off, Rachel and I, to join Olive, Digger and Mum at Scott and Sue’s home where we ate extremely well. The others stayed on for a game but Rachel and I returned home to see that the dogs were all right. Rowan had attempted to do a jigsaw and had emptied an old cushion, but otherwise things were fine (which is more than can be said for the English cricket team – today was another day of disasters, the only ray of sunshine was the 47 runs scored by Durham’s Ben Stokes who also took another wicket to raise his match tally to seven so far).
I haven’t mentioned the weather which is because the wind has, temporarily at least, dropped. We had some rain (but no snow). More gales are forecast but we shall enjoy the respite while we have it.
Read my book (on my new Kindle – a retirement gift from my Godmother), walked the dogs and retired to bed early. My goodness, it has been another lovely day.
Friday, January 3, 2014, 10:59 PM
When I awoke our fence had all but disappeared
I was awake from early this morning – not because I wanted to follow the cricket but because of the wind which was whistling around the Granary. (The cricket was a bit of a parson’s egg: Durham players took seven of the Australian wickets with Ben Stokes claiming six of them, but Australia have a healthy first innings score.) The wind was the loudest I have ever heard. I had no concerns for the house and I wasn’t concerned about the fence because I knew it would go, but how would the summer house fare? In the event it was perfect and, as I expected, the fence was blown away.
Tom and Rachel supply the finishing touches to the library shelves
After breakfast Tom and I started work on the completion of the bookcases in the summerhouse. Rachel came and joined in and the task was completed in time for a late lunch. In the afternoon we set about sorting the fence. Well, that’s not really true. We decided to abandon the existing fence we have repaired several times in the last three or four weeks. Instead we built a new fence using posts and wire designed to keep in sheep. We built it in a new direction so that it was no longer face-on to the prevailing westerly wind. How it will survive we shall have to see.
After a bit of time learning to play my ukulele, Rachel and I went across to the farmhouse for dinner and following dinner, Mum and Olive came back with us to the Granary to watch the first part of Death Comes to Pemberley. We’ll watch the second part tomorrow evening but by that time I hope to have fixed and hung all of the blinds in the summer house.
We walked the dogs. It is still extremely windy but evidently the winds will ease before returning in force next week. It is also extremely dark with no moon and few stars on view but it has been another satisfying and fun-filled day.
Friday, January 3, 2014, 12:06 AM
How things used to be
When we came to Mount Pleasant, the Websters had left us a number of old photographs. This is one of them. It shows the farmhouse before the extension at the side (to the right in the photograph) had been built. The doorway is right in the centre, quite different from how it is today. No one is quite sure when this picture was taken – is it Victorian or Edwardian? And I wonder who are the people in the picture. From what we can gather Mount Pleasant has had an exciting past. It has been a changing post where carriages refreshed their horses on the journey from Kelso to Berwick (and vice versa). That’s why there are stables, I suppose, and it is also why the building became a place where travellers stayed and were given hospitality (Robert Burns twice, by all accounts). Later it became a farm with the Granary equipped with a ‘modern’ steam engine to drive the milling equipment. More recently the lands were sold off and Mount Pleasant became what it is today: a farmhouse with a steading including the Granary now converted into a home and with endless scope for other development.
This morning we rose and walked the dogs and were ready for Tom and Dorothy when they arrived at nine. In Tom’s car, with the trailer behind, we made our way to Edinburgh to visit IKEA. Rachel and I bought some more bookcases, Tom and Dorothy were into storage equipment. Once we had completed our purchases and loaded up the trailer we went back into the store for a late brunch. It was good. Then we drove to the nearby retail park so that Rachel could buy some dog supplies and Dorothy could discuss clipping her goats – both of these at a thoroughly excellent pet supply shop.
Dorothy and Tom checking that our purchases are safely in the trailer on the way back home to the Borders
We made our way home and loaded one of our spare washing machines onto Tom’s trailer. His family washing machine has packed up and by taking one of ours he has helped us to create a bit of space in the barn. I took Mix for a walk and then relaxed in front of the stove until it was time for dinner in the farmhouse, after which everyone came back to the Granary to watch the DVD of Lincoln and his fight to pass the thirteenth amendment putting an end to slavery.
It was an engrossing film, beautifully filmed, which brought out the political machinations and intrigue of the time, all against the background of the horrendous civil war. I realised that there was much in the film that I hadn’t known and I am really glad to have seen it. If only someone would now fight as hard to pass a further amendment banning the taking of life by judicial means or a still further amendment to restrict the owning of firearms by all and sundry, the United States could really claim to have come of age. That’s not a clever comment, but grows out of the film because if there is one thing that came across to me more strongly than anything else it was that one man fought to introduce the thirteenth amendment and it was because he was so absolutely resolute, determined and politically savvy that slavery was brought to an end. All of us went away from the film thinking about what we had seen – you can’t ask for much more than that.
Rachel and I walked the dogs and came to bed. England have won the toss in Australia (there’s a first) and have chosen two Durham players in their eleven: Ben Stokes and Scott Borthwick. Already an Australian wicket has fallen but what will be the picture when I tune in tomorrow morning?
Thursday, January 2, 2014, 12:32 AM
For the first time we are gathered around the table in the lounge at the farmhouse
Happy New Year! If every day this year is as good as today then we are going to have a really wonderful year. I went back across to the farmhouse last night – everyone was playing a card game which I enjoyed as a spectator for quite a while before retiring to my bed.
Rachel got up early and set off for Bamburgh where she walked Rowan – a tradition for Rachel (setting off early with the dog on New Year’s day) which has been going for many years. I got up and joined the clan in the farmhouse for a hearty breakfast and no sooner had I finished eating than Tom and Dorothy arrived to wish us a Happy New Year. I showed Jeffrey around, even climbing into the first floor of the Hen House, and shared our plans for this year. Later his friends all came on a tour as well. Tom and Dorothy and I made our own plans as well. We’ll meet tomorrow morning at nine and the work will start again! I went out with Mix for a lengthy walk.
After an early lunch Jeffrey and his friends set off back to Edinburgh; it had been good to meet them all. By now Peter and Veronica, old established friends of Olive and Digger, had arrived. They went for a walk in the afternoon and then settled down in the lounge. It was good to see them both again. Scott and Sue also arrived to wish us a Happy New Year – the place was a-buzz with folks coming and going. I came back to the Granary and watched The Plank – I did see it all, it was a very short film, but no sooner had it ended than I fell asleep in front of the stove; well, it was New Year’s Day.
By the back of six we were all together again for a drink in the farmhouse and then we sat down for the first time around the table in the dining room – Olive, Digger, Rachel, Mum and Veronica and Peter. It was good to be around the table which had been in Luss for a while when we first went there and was afterwards in Wemyss. It’s been part of our household for many a long year.
Later in the evening, leaving everyone else to have some peace in the farmhouse, and to play a game of Trivial Pursuit, Rachel and I came back to the Granary to watch another Montalbano film (Italian detective film set in Sicily – fabulous, atmospheric and totally catching the spirit of the country). I should have gone to bed when it ended but instead I got caught up in a Law and Order UK programme before walking the dogs and coming to bed. New Year’s Day has long passed – but it was a good one and, even if the alarm clock is already warning of stormy weather, my own internal clock tells me that this is going to be a wonderful year! I hope it is for you as well.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014, 12:44 AM
Tom and Rachel at work
Woke for the last time in 2013 – a year which has been supremely eventful for me. I started the year in work with two parishes to look after and ended it retired and with only myself and my family to look to. I’ve always had projects – doing things with the boat or whatever – but the wonder of being retired is that I can now devote myself to the things I want to do. I don’t have to grab time from something else to do what I want to do. I don’t have to do what I want to do with one ear for a telephone which may call me to something more important. And so today I always knew that I would be working on the summer house – and that’s how it turned out.
I got up and walked the dog, breakfasted in the farmhouse (a leisurely breakfast is something I was never able to experience pre-retirement, now I almost take it for granted) and then Tom and Dorothy arrived and together with Rachel we set about building bookcases in the summer house. We were at it all day, or at ;least all the day-light hours (Rachel broke off to drive Mum to the hairdresser and also to collect her; Tom and Dorothy went off for lunch) but by the end of the day we had achieved a great deal with two large bookcases, one in each of the two back corners of the building.
Dorothy, Tom and Rachel (with Mix wandering into shot) in front of one of the new bookcases
Back in the house I prepared the music for Arrochar for next Sunday and spoke to Cathy on the phone before wandering over to the farmhouse where Olive’s son Jeffrey had arrived with several of his friends to celebrate Hogmanay. We enjoyed a drink with them, and then an excellent buffet meal, before I returned to the Granary to have a shower (must go into the New Year clean) and tidy up my study (must go into the New Year tidy) and make sure all of the bills are paid (must go into the New Year owing nothing). As if the change from one year to another makes any real difference – yet still doing these things is engrained in me. I must say, that with more time, it is much less of a frenetic rush than it usually is and I am looking forward to next year enormously.
Some of Jeff’s friends counting down the minutes to 2014
Back in the farmhouse we joined everyone for a drink before the Bells, another drink afterwards (and some shortbread) and then Rachel and I set off to walk the dogs. We’re back in the Granary now. It is 2014. Rachel is off to bed and I think that I will go back and join the party.
If you are reading this, I wish you a very peaceful New Year. May all your desires be fulfilled and all your wishes come true. Most of all may this be a year of peace and one in which we learn to share with those who are less fortunate than we are; a year in which the hungry are fed, the homeless are housed, refugees are welcomed and all are made to feel that they matter. It's in our hands.
Monday 30th. December, 2013 – The Fifth Day of Christmas
Tuesday, December 31, 2013, 12:02 AM
A picture of our family
This picture was taken just over a year ago at the wedding of Nick (my nephew) and Amy. But I only saw the picture for the first time when we all got together for Christmas on the 27th. of December. I thought it would be good to put it up here because it allows me to introduce everyone in the family: from the left Devon (Jeffrey’s partner), Mum, Rachel (my wife), Jeffrey (my nephew and Olive’s son), Digger (Olive’s husband), Nick (the bridegroom, my nephew and Scott’s son), Amy (Nick’s Australian bride), me, Olive (my sister), Sue (Scott’s wife), Scott (my brother) and Katie (my niece and Scott’s daughter). Now I hope that is all very clear! I’m in my clerical collar in the picture because I conducted the wedding ceremony. It was a happy occasion.
Today I got up and breakfasted before walking Mix. Then I spent all day – or at least all of the daylight hours of the day – varnishing the inside of the summerhouse (particularly the roof – which I suppose becomes a ceiling when it is inside). It was fairly unpleasant as tasks go, the varnish running back down my hand and dripping onto my hair and into my eyes. But now that it is done, it is done and the rest of the tasks will be far more fun.
I walked Mix in the twilight and then had a pleasant shower to try to become human again before relaxing in front of a screen and watching the Titfield Thunderbolt, an old 1953 comedy from the Ealing Studios: extremely gentle and a product of its time.
We all dined together in the farmhouse and then, in front of a warm stove in our lovely front room, Rachel and I watched an episode of Montalbano. I really enjoyed it and would love to be out in Italy again. In total contrast, we walked the dogs in the icy cold, admiring a clear, clear sky and all of the stars, before coming back home and going to bed. I feel that I have achieved a great deal today.
Sunday 29th. December, 2013 – The Fourth Day of Christmas, the First Sunday of Christmas and our Forty-fourth Wedding Anniversary
Sunday, December 29, 2013, 11:57 PM
Dorothy, Tom and Mum outside Abbey St. Bathan’s Church
Today was another great day – but it didn’t turn out exactly as planned. I got up and walked the dog. After all of the winds and bad weather it was as if spring was just around the corner, not at all cold, no wind and the sun was out – a thoroughly beautiful day. I breakfasted in the farmhouse and then we set off early (9.20 a.m.) for Abbey St. Bathans, a small village to the north-east of Duns perhaps eleven or twelve miles from our house. There used to be a Church of Scotland Church here but it was sold off and a member of the community bought it and did it up. The congregation of Gavinton, in whose parish it now is, holds services here occasionally and as this was a fifth Sunday of the month the service was held here. Almost the whole worshipping congregation had come along from Gavinton for the service and a large number of folk from Abbey St. Bathans, local folk and visitors, attended. In all there were fifty-eight of us which made this comfortably the largest congregation I have been part of since I came south.
Ann, our minister, continued her programme of three-themed services, our themes for today being St. Stephen, the flight into Egypt and the massacre of the innocents. Ann sketched out Stephen’s life, reminding us that he was a Greek-speaking Jewish Christian, one of the seven deacons chosen to organise the care of the widows, orphans and the poor of the early Church community. But he was much more than that – a powerful preacher and debater who fell foul of the religious authorities, was tried and stoned to death – the first Christian martyr whose saint’s day falling immediately after Christmas day points forward to all that is to happen to God’s son. He was not only born into our world to live our life, but to die our death as well.
The second theme picked up Joseph’s dream which led to the holy family’s flight to Egypt. Jesus’ family was poor – they were also refugees. Ann read a meditation of Mary’s thoughts as she struggled to come to terms with the turn her life was taking. She had expected to give birth to God’s son, something which would be celebrated and would lead to great things. Instead she is now fleeing the country under the blanket of darkness.
Her third theme really ran in parallel with this as we were presented with the story of the massacre of the innocents, both through Bible reading and a meditation in which the wife of an innkeeper (not the one who welcomed in the weary couple) told the story of the massacre from her perspective. The arrival of the couple from Nazareth and the birth of their baby was not good news for the innkeeper's family nor their community. Instead of celebration and happiness, it led to the death of their children and the destruction of their community.
It all gave me food for thought because I have come to understand the flight to Egypt and the slaughter of the innocents as being a device of Matthew to tell his Gospel as a parallel of the Old Testament Moses story of redemption. But it is a reminder of how horrific humanity can be and a reminder that that cruelty is not something which is only a part of ancient history. Perhaps even a reminder that challenging evil can have difficult consequences for the good and the bystanders as well as for those, like Stephen, who put their heads above the parapet.
Forty-four years ago today: Rachel and I climb into a car to be driven to our reception
We didn’t stay for coffee this morning because we had to get back to Mount Pleasant. At noon Aunt Agnes (my God-mother), Martin, Jill and Eric (Jill’s Dad) arrived at Mount Pleasant. It was really good to see my cousin and his wife again. We drank coffee in the farmhouse and then toured the ‘estate’ before coming to the Granary for lunch. It was a happy time and the afternoon just flew by.
Forty-four years ago today: a family group outside St. Mary’s Church in Beverly
The plan had been that we would have a family meal this evening to celebrate Rachel and my wedding anniversary, but a phone call from the estate agent put paid to that. Someone wanted to see around Mum’s Kirkcaldy flat; Digger and Mum set off for Kirkcaldy and Rachel and I went into Berwick where we attended Evensong at Berwick Parish Church. The Church here is without a vicar (Dennis Handley will be inducted on 19th. March) but there seems to be no shortage of substitutes. The service this evening was led by Canon John Ward who spoke from the second chapter of Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi, reminding us that in arguments and debates about important things we can never be sure that we are right (the Church condoned slavery for many years). Debates must be conducted in love and with respect. I guess this was an apt message for the Church which has a number of important internal debates going on at present. It could equally be applied to the referendum debate on this side of the border. It is an important message because all too often disagreement leads to walls being built, so the emphasis has to be on the learning to love each other, because each of us is one of God’s children. The Christmas message just goes on and on.
The crib in Berwick Parish Church
On the way home we stopped and enjoyed fish suppers (well, actually I had a two-sausage supper) and on our return we watched a 1992 film ‘A Few Just Men’ – a court case film involving marines from Guantanamo Bay. I enjoyed it very much indeed. Mum and Digger returned from Kirkcaldy. They had liked the gentleman who came to view the flat – now all we can do is hope that he liked the flat! Rachel and I walked the dogs (the wind is beginning to get up again) and came to bed. What a fabulous day!
Saturday, December 28, 2013, 11:07 PM
Enjoying a pre-panto drink in the theatre bar
Up and breakfasted in the farmhouse before walking Mix on largely deserted roads – the local area is clearly still on holiday. Back home I started to learn how to play my ukulele. Tom arrived and I switched role to that of apprentice joiner as we set about rebuilding the fences which had fallen down during the most recent storm. Tom was in fine form for this as he had done the same at his own home before coming to see me.
After lunch we set about hanging the door in its final position in the summer house and also experimented with a blind on one of the windows there as an alternative to curtains. It looks super. We can’t deal with the other windows as we are still awaiting the ironmongery for six of the windows which didn’t arrive with the windows.
We had an early tea at the farmhouse, eating up the leftovers from yesterday and then we all (Mum, Olive, Digger, Rachel and I) went off to Berwick to attend the pantomime Cinderella at the Maltings. I really enjoyed it. It was a real family pantomime, fresh and clever, with imaginative performances obscuring any deficiencies in the script. I missed the professional dancing chorus (such a part of the pantomimes at the Pavilion which we used to attend with the young folk form Arrochar) but the individual performances of Buttons and the Fairy Godmother, to say nothing of the other characters who were all good, more than made up for that. It goes without saying that the theatre was filled to capacity and we enjoyed a drink before the performance in the friendly theatre bar.
Olive and Mum had clearly enjoyed the show
Came back home and caught up with some bits and pieces before walking Mix and going to bed. Yet another lovely Christmassy day.
Friday 27th. December, 2013 -- Christmas just goes on and on
Friday, December 27, 2013, 11:55 PM
Exchanging presents in the farmhouse
What winds we had overnight! I awoke to discover that one of our fences had been blown totally over and another had a section missing from it. The wind was so strong that there was nothing we could do about it – so there was no garden for the dogs today.
In fact they didn’t miss it. We took them for a walk down towards the River Blackadder through the trees and when we returned they accompanied us to the summer house where Rachel and I spent the morning and early part of the afternoon varnishing the inside of the summer house. We completed the interior walls and the plan is to tackle the inside of the roof tomorrow. It is all great fun, especially with the wind rattling around outside.
Came inside and showered and then went across to the farmhouse where Scott and Sue, Nick, Amy and Katie had arrived laden down with Christmas gifts. It was so good to see them. Christmas toasts were drunk in champagne, gifts were exchanged, a lovely buffet meal was enjoyed by all, and there was much exchanging of news and the occasional debate (about whether Scotland should seek independence – every possible view is represented within our family) and family fun. I did rather well out of the generosity of my brother and his family returning to the Granary quite late on (the wind was still howling) with tickets for the athletics at the Commonwealth Games and a big black hat!
Back home I dealt with the music for Arrochar on Sunday and forwarded it to Neil and Jamie and then caught just a little of the cricket before bed. I could scarcely believe it when I got up this morning to discover that England had had such a good day in the field. I look forward to seeing how they get on today.
Thursday 26th. December, 2013 – Boxing Day and a wonderful one at that!
Friday, December 27, 2013, 12:22 AM
Christmas sunrise – taken yesterday but I forgot to put it up
This morning I slept in. Rachel got up a little after eight and even invited Mix to go out to the garden with Rowan but Mix is his master’s dog and preferred to sleep on at the foot of the bed until about ten. By that time Rachel was in Berwick for the communion service in the Anglican Church.
I got up in a leisurely fashion – it was my first really long-lie since retiring and, truth to tell, I did very little except make the fire up, fill the coal bunker and bring in logs and just potter about in a happy dwam. (I don’t care if the spell-check doesn’t recognise it: it is a perfectly good word.) In the afternoon Rachel and I set off for our Boxing Day walk. It was back to Berwick for Rachel and we wandered along the beach at Spittal. We had expected the beach to be busy but it was really quite quiet.
Rachel and Rowan on the beach at Spittal – the tide is right out
We went from Spittal to the retail park at Tweedmouth where we visited first HomeBase and then Curry’s. At HomeBase we got some bits and pieces to enable us to start on varnishing the summer house (perhaps tomorrow); at Curry’s we bought a new printer for the computer – we seem to go through printers at a tremendous rate; but once they go wrong no repair seems to last any time at all.
Back home I decided to check on the carpet that I intended to buy for the summer house with a view to popping into Duns to see if it was available at the local shop (it’s good to buy locally) but when I went on line I saw that if I bought the carpet on-line today there would be an additional twenty percent discount (off already extremely reasonable prices). I ordered the carpet and it will be delivered in a couple of days time.
Candles in the Granary lounge
Rachel lit the candles and Mum, Olive and Digger arrived to spend the late afternoon and evening with us. We exchanged presents and I was thrilled to be given a set of cricket stumps with a difference. Made by Digger, they are designed as a bathroom fitment to ensure that we never run out of toilet tissue. I also received a miniature camping gas stove (we are all electric in the Granary) to enable us to cook when the power cuts come. (Almost on cue the barometer began to drop and our clocks started ringing out storm warnings.)
The Granary is looking extremely Christmassy
Rachel had prepared all kinds of party food and we spent a long time eating and drinking. I was able to enjoy some champagne, some Madeira, some wine and some grappa without any fear of the telephone ringing to say I was required. It was such a relaxing evening. To round it all off we watched the Christmas Downton Abbey (recorded yesterday) and then, after Olive and Digger had gone off to bed, Rachel, Mum and I rounded the day off by watching the reprise of ‘Open All Hours’ which really was a tribute to Ronny Barker, and quite nostalgic.
We walked the dogs – it has got very cold – and went to bed. What a fabulous day.
Wednesday 25th. December, 2013 – A Happy Christmas Day
Thursday, December 26, 2013, 12:52 AM
Guess what I got for Christmas
Woke and it was still very windy – we had been promised that the wind would drop overnight but here it was still exceedingly blowy and I was relieved that we still had all of our slates, the boat was still covered by its tarpaulin, the roof was on the summerhouse and the fence was still more or less in place. I showered and then walked Mix with Rachel and Rowan – everywhere was deserted and it was very quiet. Came home and changed and we set off for church.
It was a good service and the folk who were there seemed to be in families, as if parents had brought those staying with them for Christmas along to church for the service. Ann retold the manger story from the standpoint of the baby – the purpose being to underline the wonder of God choosing to be born into our world as one of us. Of course we sang all the old favourites and came out of church feeling that Christmas had arrived and that the world was a better place as a result.
A view of Holyrood Palace from Carlton Hill
Back home, Rachel and I had a snack and opened our Christmas presents. Rachel gave me a ukulele (a retired person should take up a new interest and what better than learning to play a new instrument); Tom and Dorothy gave me a tool bag (clearly they foresee a more useful outlet for my new energies)! I gave Rachel a jacket which she really fancied from the awfully posh Tweedside Tackle (which we had visited in Kelso last week). Presents opened – the dogs had their own gifts, as well – we set off in the car for Edinburgh to join the family at Jeffrey and Devon’s home.
Jeffery is my nephew. He met us when we arrived and to settle the dogs we walked up Carlton Hill which is just minutes away from his home. It was busy, lots of folk were out for a Christmas walk. We overlooked Holyrood Palace and at the other side of the hill got a grand view of Edinburgh and the Forth behind.
Custer and Jeff -- a dog and his man
In Jeff’s home we were treated to a feast – turkey, goose, roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, sausages wrapped in bacon, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, two kinds of stuffing, gravy and all in such huge quantities. Afterwards there was an extended break – we needed it – while presents were exchanged and then we started again with a huge Christmas pudding which flamed for fully three or four minutes before the brandy was consumed, and a glorious trifle (my favourite and made with me in mind). It was wonderful. It was also wonderful to meet Steve (Devon’s Dad) and Nicole and Nicole’s daughter Torri, as well as Jeff’s special friends Keith and Lee – along with Mum, Olive and Digger that provides a complete rundown of everyone present.
Looking north from Carlton Hill
We set off home just after eight. Rachel had undertaken to put the chickens to bed to allow Digger and Olive to stay overnight in Edinburgh. It was a good journey home, eighty minutes door to door. I lit the stove and we watched Mrs. Brown’s Christmas on tv and a bit of Michael MacIntyre whose discussion of a visit to the dentist made me laugh out loud so much that I still have a sore chest more than two hours afterwards – I laughed, I wept, I rolled on the floor. It was so funny – the humour turning on his inability to speak properly with his mouth numbed by a dentist’s injection.
We had intended to watch the news and come to bed but before we knew it we got caught up in the Vicar of Dibley. The writers have a wonderful knack of presenting ridiculous humour but bringing it all around to something quite profound and I went to bed, having walked the dogs (the wind has now dropped), feeling that I had got a lot out of today. It has been quite, quite special and everything has contributed to that: the service in Church, the family celebration in Edinburgh, the television we watched when we came home (there was a lovely five minute slot on the BBC where the Gospel was read and ‘On Christmas night’ was sung), and the texts I received during the day from important friends. And to add to it all, Mix was on his best behaviour everywhere we went. He has become a real star.
I hope that all those who read this diary have had a really special day. Don’t let Christmas stop when the clock strikes midnight. Let’s keep it going as long as we can! I also hope that the message of the need to make our society a fairer one -- both in terms of our own country and the world as a whole -- a message proclaimed by the new Archbishop of Canterbury and also by the Archbishop of York is not lost amongst all of the celebrations. Mary's song, which we read in the lead up to Christmas, presents a vision of the world as it is meant to be and we can't welcome the baby without working for the dream.
Tuesday 24th. December, 2013 – Christmas Eve
Wednesday, December 25, 2013, 12:42 AM
Now the Christmas Tree in the farmhouse has baubles as well as lights
It is Christmas Eve and, for the first time since I retired, I feel a little strange, a little bit like a spare part. Last year I was up early with shopping to do and then so many services to get just right. I would conduct the Christmas Eve Service at half past eleven in Arrochar and a huge number of the village would come. The Church would be lit entirely by candle-light and there was a lovely feeling in the Church enhanced by the mulled wine served at the door! I would ensure that everything was ready for the Luss service as well, although it would be conducted by Bill and Rachel and I would get back from Arrochar just in time to greet some of the folk from Luss (their service lasts longer than Arrochar’s because of the Guild Choir items just after midnight). There would be no time to relax for on Christmas morning there were services at Arrochar and Luss – in Arrochar this was the best attended service of the year with few from Arrochar but loads of predominantly English folk staying in the local hotels. At the Luss the service would also be made up predominantly of visitors as the tradition there as well was to attend on Christmas Eve – but how can Christians not want to mark Jesus’ birth in their congregational family home? It has always been important to me to be in Church on Christmas morning.
The crib is out in the farmhouse lounge as well
Well, this morning I got up and walked Mix – there was snow in the air and it was quite chilly. The wind was also starting to blow. I breakfasted on bacon and egg and then went out to Duns to do some last minute shopping. To be honest I really didn’t need to, but it is what I have always done, and I’m a creature of habit particularly at this time of the year. I also had to go to Duns to pick Mum up from her hairdresser – before I set off, Tom and Dorothy popped in to see how we were. We’ll join them later in the evening for the Watch Night Service.
Back at Mount Pleasant, Scott arrived with Nick and Amy. It was a flying visit and by a little after three we had the whole complex to ourselves: Mum, Olive, Digger and Heidi the dog having left for Edinburgh to Christmas with Jeff and Devon. We will drive there tomorrow after Church.
A lovely Christmas tree – but not too many people
I visited Duns again just after three. The place looked beautiful but it was practically deserted. Normally on Christmas Eve I am jostling with last minute Christmas shoppers, or with those who are looking for last-minute bargains. I feel so sorry for shopkeepers this Christmas, the weather, the internet, the shopping malls and the recent recession have all conspired to hit them really hard.
Normally there isn’t a parking space to be had
Back home I wrapped up all of my presents – the Lessons and Carols from King’s College was on the radio. Rachel preferred to watch on television later in the afternoon. I spent the time tidying my study and wondering when I had ever had time to do something like that on Christmas Eve before. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying this year enormously: it just doesn’t feel real. At any moment I expect the telephone to ring and tell me to get back to work. Mind you, with gales roaring all around us – the wind picked up dramatically over the course of the afternoon – it is very pleasant to be able to stay indoors.
Gavinton Church by candle-light before the service began
We dined in the Granary and watched a bit of Morecombe and Wise, followed by a new Midsomer Murder and then we cleared the kitchen as best we could so that we could leave the dogs while we went to Church. Walked them, left them comfortable and set off for the Church. The wind was howling but still there were twenty-one of us in Church for a lovely carol service during which Ann spoke of the reality and humanity of Jesus’ birth. It was really God born into our world -- a fact which was ‘as much about midwifery as it was about theology’. It was good to be with members of the congregation as we moved into Christmas 2013 – although I have to confess that my mind did drift off to Arrochar and Luss as I wondered how they were getting on and hoping that they were having as good a celebration as we were down here.
Wished Tom and Dorothy good night and wished them well on their drive south to Dorothy’s folks tomorrow (well, later on today). Drove home and discovered that the dogs had been very good indeed – things are looking up! Well, it is Christmas.
If you are reading this, I hope that you have a very happy Christmas and may God bless us all.
Monday 23rd. December, 2013 – A Wet and Windy Day
Monday, December 23, 2013, 11:58 PM
It is mid-day on the day before Christmas Eve and Berwick in the rain is almost deserted
Got up and pushed the dogs into the garden. I wasn’t going to the farmhouse for breakfast this morning because Olive and Digger were setting off early to do their shopping. And I wasn’t walking the dog because the plan was to take both dogs off in the car for a walk before we did our shopping. In the event the dogs and I were ready but Rachel slept in. However, we got on the road and drove first to Duns for Rachel to complete some medical and financial transactions and then we drove to Spittal where we walked the dogs on the beach. Today the beach was huge (because the tide was out); it was also very cold and with a driving wind and pouring rain (so we had the beach to ourselves). Mix was very glad to get back into the car.
We drove to Berwick to complete our Christmas shopping. Berwick was deserted so we had the pick of the shops. I spoke to several shopkeepers who felt that the weather had affected them badly. Last week it had rained and so people took to the internet to do their shopping; this week in the final run up to Christmas the rain had struck again and people were going to shopping malls or retail parks where they could shop without walking down the street and getting wet and where they could park right next to the shops. To be fair the council in Berwick had lifted all parking charges in an attempt to lure the shoppers, but it was largely in vain. One shopkeeper said to me – "I wouldn’t mind if it was because people had decided to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas but I suspect that it is just the weather". I’m sure that she was right.
We went to the Town House for brunch (remember I missed breakfast). Normally it is hard to get a table but there was plenty of room today. I enjoyed 'pigs in a blanket' and a glorious hot chocolate. Afterwards we continued with our shopping and then it was back to the car and a drive to the retail park because Rachel wanted to buy food at Marks and Spencer. Here, right enough, at the retail park the shop was crowded and we had to queue.
We drove home and Rachel set off at once to Duns to buy our ‘ordinary food’ while I talked to Mum, Olive and Digger. I discovered that my Godmother had sent me a present and, as I prepared to put it to one side to open on Christmas Day, I was told that it wasn’t a Christmas present but was a retirement gift. So I could open it! It was a Kindle – what a delightful present. I got it up and running and linked it to our broadband with the result that I can now read any book I want. Some I can buy from Amazon and with a single click they appear on the Kindle; others I can ‘borrow’ for nothing because I am a member of Amazon Prime. What a kind present and what a super present.
Rachel returned and I set off to buy some last minute things – we hadn’t gone together because someone had to look after the dogs. Again there was this Marie Celeste feeling – the Co-op was deserted, the town square was empty, it was really hard to believe that this was the day before Christmas Eve.
The farmhouse tree is up and has lights on it – the other decorations will follow tomorrow
Back home I sorted out my finances and reconciled all that I had spent and then we went across to the farmhouse for supper.
Afterwards, back in our lounge we watched an old Inspector Gently which neither of us had seen before. It was good. Then it was time to walk the dogs – the wind had blown up again and there was snow in the air. Part of our fence is down again – we’ll fix it tomorrow. It was good to get back inside. England appears to be suffering terribly from wind and storms with many trains cancelled and those that are running, are compelled to keep below fifty miles an hour. We are to share some of the bad weather tomorrow, if the forecasters are to be believed. I was glad to go to bed and read a chapter on my Kindle.
Sunday 22nd. December, 2013 – The Fourth Sunday of Advent
During the service this morning the fourth candle of Advent was lit
It was really cold when I got up this morning and, walking the dog, I saw lots of snow by the roadside and flooding in the fields. After breakfast, Rachel, Mum and I set off for Gavinton Church – there was more snow in Gavinton and the minister spoke of real snow and icy conditions on her way to Church.
The service was well attended (thirty-four folk, I think, which is one or two more than normal) and it was a good service. The theme, continuing on the triple theme of previous advent Sundays, was Magnificat, Joseph and Immanuel. We looked at Mary’s Song of Praise having been confronted with the angel and his message about her impending pregnancy and her willingness to respond to God’s will (a model for our own response) which in turn leads to a changed world – for it is as we respond to God’s will that the world becomes a different place. Ann read the scripture about Joseph’s dream and a meditation about his experience – the Christmas story is also a story about Joseph’s response to God’s challenge. Finally we looked at the passage from Isaiah where the birth of a child will foreshadow the salvation of his people, Ann set this passage in its historical context and explained how the mystery of the virgin birth had been created in part as the story made its way from Hebrew through Greek to the people of New Testament times. We sang some good carols and afterwards joined everyone else for coffee in the Church Hall.
There were beautiful flowers in Church this morning
Back home we set about moving furniture in the farmhouse, most notably taking a sofa from the lounge into one of the barns to make room for the dining table to be used in comfort and to make way for the Christmas Tree which Digger was to buy later in the day. I went off with Mum to a ‘cheerful Carol Singalong’ in Gavinton Village Hall. There must have been about forty-five of us, congregation and village folk (including quite a few children) in the hall and we sang carols (the words projected on the wall), watched a short nativity film from New Zealand, and enjoyed mulled wine and mince-meat pies. Later in the afternoon, after some games, Santa visited the hall with a present for each child.
Back in the Granary, I responded to an email from Neil from Arrochar and prepared additional midi files for some extra carols which they will sing on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Rachel went off to Berwick to Choral Evensong and on her return we all ate in the farmhouse. Back in the Granary we dozed in front of the stove (our home is so very warm) and then, after walking the dogs in the freezing cold, it was time for bed. It has been a lovely weekend.
Saturday 21st. December, 2013 – Christmas Shopping
Rachel and Rowan on St. Cuthbert’s Way at Newtown St. Boswell’s
Woke this morning and felt sorry for all shopkeepers. The wind had dropped but it was raining hard and it was a thoroughly nasty day on this one of the most important shopping days for those with shops on the high streets up and down the country. Mix and I went for a short walk – it was much too wet for a longer trek. I breakfasted and then Rachel and I set out to do some Christmas shopping. We had heard that there was a fine bookshop in St. Boswell’s but of course we went to Newtown St. Boswell’s, not the same place at all. However, our loss was the dogs gain. (Should report that I unloaded Mix from the back of the car and went to get his lead. Rachel volunteered to hold on to Mix while I sorted out the lead. The next thing I saw was Rachel flat out on the ground as something nearby had attracted Mix’s attention – but Rachel hadn’t let go!) Even so we took the dogs for a decent walk down to the river and across the bridge until we found ourselves on St. Cuthbert’s Way. We will certainly return on a better day to do more of the walk.
We made our way to St. Boswell’s and found the bookshop. There it was on the little Main Street complete with parking behind. It was an excellent shop, a little independent bookseller, with loads of choice, and an excellent display to suit all tastes. We spent ages in the shop and enjoyed it immensely.
Refuelled in the village Garage (and bought a couple of sandwiches) before continuing to Kelso where we did a bit more shopping and also found time to have a look at the Abbey – another place to return to when shopping is not so high on the agenda and more time can be spent on more important matters.
We were able to have the quickest of looks at the Abbey in Kelso.
Having visited some very interesting shops including Tweedside Tackle (a fishing shop, I understand, of some considerable renown) and a lovely little jeweller called Bridget of Edinburgh where the lady made everything herself on the premises, mostly out of silver, we set off for home allowing the TomTom to devise an extremely interesting scenic route which took us down several unmarked minor roads on our way to Mount Pleasant.
Back home we unloaded Rachel’s car of yesterday's purchases (all of the book-shelves and so on) and Scott and Sue arrived to steal some ivy for their Christmas decorations. We sat over coffee with them and Mum in the Granary, and longer with Mum after Scott and Sue set off for home. The rain continued to pour down but we are snug as bugs in our little house and couldn’t be happier or more content if we tried.
Joined the family for a lovely evening meal of ham and roast potatoes with carrots, followed by apple pie, custard and ice-cream. Back in the Granary, Rachel wrapped presents while we watched the second part of the Train Robbers film: A Copper’s Tale. It was very good: no, it was excellent, made so by good writing, a wonderful cast and an exciting tale to tell. While we were watching the drama our first snows arrived; nothing too serious but, as Google reported on its front page, winter has now arrived!
Friday 20th. December, 2013 -- Off to Edinburgh
There was a warm glow from the summer house as we walked the dogs last thing at night
Coincidences. I tend not to believe in them as they effect daily life, affirming the belief of the late George MacLeod that if you believe in coincidence you will have a very boring life. But some things are strange. A couple of nights ago we were talking around the table about music and old songs and someone mentioned ‘Right said Fred’ as an example of an old song which they had enjoyed. I had forgotten all about it but back in my study the next day (yesterday) I typed ‘Right said Fred’ into Spotify on the computer and up came the song, along with the information that it had been sung by Bernard Cribbins. As soon as I was reminded of the fact, I realised that I knew it (if you know what I mean). But it was such a long time ago and I hadn’t heard of Bernard Cribbins for years and years and years. Later in the afternoon while I was having something to eat, and having no book to read, I turned on the BBC i-player and accessed the most recent episode of ‘Have I got news for you’ and who should be a guest on the programme? Bernard Cribbins. Strange: what a coincidence!
Walked the dog and breakfasted in the farmhouse and then Rachel and I set off for IKEA in Edinburgh leaving Mix in the farmhouse with Olive and Digger. I was amazed at how busy the roads were, although IKEA itself wasn’t overly busy. I bought some bookshelves – the heartbreak of having to leave my wonderful library shelves behind at Wemyss – and we also bought some blinds for the windows of the summer house and then we set off for home. Rachel driving and Rowan and I cramped into half a seat: the rest taken over by shelving. We had gaily bought quite a lot because we had determined that it would fit into the Berlingo, forgetting totally about the accumulated weight of so many shelves. We drove home slowly, stopping at Asda at Dunbar so that Rowan could be walked and I could buy a sandwich for Rachel and myself.
By the time we got home it was already dark and the day was almost over. I had an email with the hymns for Arrochar for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so I spent the time before dinner preparing the music for those services and sending them off to Jamie by email. Then we ate in the farmhouse – another lovely meal – and by the time the meal was over and we returned to the Granary it was blowing a gale, again!
We watched the first part of the dramatisation of the Train Robbers tonight – it was good, well written and tightly acted. Tomorrow we plan to watch the Policeman’s Tale and see how it all unfolds. Memory plays tricks over the years and it is good to be reminded of what actually happened. Tomorrow I gather that we are going Christmas shopping – I hope that the weather has died down.
It is getting close to Christmas -- I have never looked forward to a Christmas as much as I am looking forward to this one. In the past I have been 'in charge'. It has been my responsibility to ensure that all the services and activities happen and happen as they should. I have taken that responsibility very seriously and I have felt the weight of it on my shoulders. (I do understand that God is in charge but I am sure you know what I mean: God entrusts these responsibilities to us.) This year that is gone. I am a member of a congregation and am enjoying taking part in what others have prepared. That's not to say that I don't have responsibilities, but my responsibilities now are different from before. I have made my Christmas plans so that I can be in the little Church here for the Watchnight Service and for Christmas Day -- because being a member of a congregation brings responsibilities as well. In a small congregation just a few people missing makes such a difference and I want to be part of the celebrations here. There has been a lovely lead up to Christmas -- the actual celebrations will be wonderful.
Thursday 19th. December, 2013 – It is bright, cold and calm
Carol singing at Longformacus – lousy photo of a grand occasion
I think it was in ‘As Time Goes By’ that we were for ever being given the weather forecast (or rather the shipping forecast) in the English Chanel by Geoffrey Palmer’s housekeeper. I seem to have become her spiritual successor. The storm of last night has all passed by. It is bright and cold and calm and everything in our estate has survived – but the wind was really noisy during the night and I see from the BBC website that many people are without power this morning.
As I lay in bed listening to the wind I found myself thinking about what I had (or hadn’t) written in my diary. As I waited last evening for Lucan to start there was a rather sentimental programme called Surprise on the channel I was waiting for. The reason for commenting on it was that two of the guests were Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean. I remember so vividly when they won their Olympic medal in 1984, twenty-nine years ago, and they really didn’t look old enough on the programme yesterday to have been champions so long ago. Skating must be good for you! It was good to watch them again.
The other thought was about the difference between crime and white-collar crime. Train robbers, rightly, get bundled into jail for lengthy periods, but those who run institutions which arguably cause far more misery through corporately doing bad things seem to survive. Can’t be right.
Walked Mix but didn’t go across for breakfast because Olive and Digger had set off early for Dundee where Olive is to pick up some examination scripts to be marked. Tom arrived and announced that the task for today was to lay the floor and that I would be doing my fair share of the work. Trembled as I have never laid a floor before but Tom is a good teacher and showed me how to hammer the boards together, nail through the tongue of the plank and then hit the nail with a nail punch to push it into the wood. It was a long, but an enormously satisfying job.
The task for today was to lay a floor
By lunch time it was almost completed so we adjourned for lunch and returned after lunch to do the final stretch – I learned a great deal more. There was still a bit of time in hand so we installed the electrics and when Rachel came home from having had her hair done, there was a lovely glow coming from the summer house. There was also a real glow of achievement coming from me!
Haven’t we done well?
Yesterday Rachel went to Dun s five times, today she only made the return journey four times. First following me as I took my car to the garage to have a new seat belt fitted, second to take Mum to the Gavinton Guild Christmas party, third to get her hair done, ands fourth to take me to collect my car. She is becoming quite a taxi service! As you’ll have gathered I got my car back with its new seat belt (£156 caused by Mix). Once I got the car back I was able to pack away all of the excess wood from the summer house into the hen house by the light from the summer house. We will not get anything major done to the summer house now until after the Christmas festivities. But what progress has been made.
After an early tea I drove up to Longformacus for the street carol singing (Tom provided the music on his squeeze-box). Longformacus is one of the congregations within our parish linking. Until very recently there were services in the church here but those have now come to an end so it was good to have carol singing around the doors here. After the carols we all went off to the Village Hall where we enjoyed mincemeat pies and cake.
The Village Hall at Longformacus
As well as congregational and village members there were several folk from a Christian Centre which works with young men who have been disadvantaged or suffer from an addiction. I enjoyed speaking both to them and to some of the staff from the centre.
Longformacus struck me as being a very odd name. It is a tiny little village six miles or so north of Duns, along a windy and lonely road. The name comes from the gaelic Longphort Mhacais and the village’s main claim to fame is that Donizetti’s opera Lucia di Lammermoor is set here. Two walks – the Southern Upland Way and the Sir Walter Scott Way – both pass through Longformacus.
Back home, Rachel and I watched Where Eagles Dare. It is an old film but special to us because on the evening of our wedding, after we had set off on honeymoon, many of our guests went off to see this new film at the local cinema. (I was married in England where the celebrations were at lunch time and we left by the early evening – I dare say it is different now.) Enjoyed the film (although I was a bit taken aback at the indiscriminate killing -- were we more violent back in the 60s?, and walked the dogs before bed. Am I stiff after all that kneeling and hammering? I expect to be sore in the morning.
Wednesday 18th. December, 2013 It was meant to be horrendous
Wednesday, December 18, 2013, 10:49 PM
And now the door is hung: Digger and Tom at work
Awoke and thought how good the weather looked – the forecaster last night had said that it was all downhill for the rest of the week, with today as the worst of all. Well, it was really rather pleasant (a little bit cold, perhaps) as I walked Mix. Came home and breakfasted at the farmhouse and as I was drinking my coffee (having scoffed the bacon, egg and fried bread) Tom arrived and demanded that I went back to work on the summer house. ‘There’s lots to do, and the weather is OK.’ So we set about fitting all of the windows (albeit in a temporary fashion because the ironmongery for six of them was missing. I’ve reported it and am waiting for it to arrive.) We also hung the door and did all that was necessary to ensure that everything was plumb. Actually that short sentence took a long time to achieve. It was mid afternoon, with darkness already beginning to fall before we had everything done. All that remains (apart from the window fittings) it to fit the shingles on the roof (no hurry now that we have it all covered with roofing felt), the laying of the floor, the electrics and the varnishing. It will be done by the end of the year.
Looking back over my diary entries for the last few days I realise how fixated I have become on this summerhouse. I suppose that is a real novelty for me. I've never had the time to become totally engrossed in something like putting up a small building; of working away at something which in itself is quite trivial, which isn't part of work but which is just absolutely great fun -- and as Tom said today, we're getting quite a sense of achievement as we see the little building taking shape.
Came back in and found an email with the list of music for Arrochar’s Sunday service. Got it all prepared and emailed to Jamie so that he has time to test it all before Sunday. Then I drove Mum into Duns where she is attending the Dun’s Guild Christmas party which she will enjoy. Back at the farmhouse, I enjoyed sausages, broccoli and roast potatoes followed by rhubarb tart and custard with ice-cream. I think that I probably over ate. Came back home in time to watch the second part of ‘Lucan’ – the events surrounding the disappearance of Lord Lucan in 1974 – events which I missed because I was working in Italy at the time.
The weather is starting to turn nasty after all – a wind has blown up and there is rain in the air but not nearly as bad, so far, as I had been expecting. Found the second part of the play about Lord Lucan quite disappointing except for the fact that one of the minor characters in it was played by one of Rachel’s former students from Fife College. All the play said was he could have committed suicide, he could still be free or perhaps he was murdered – well, even I could have worked that out; but perhaps there was nothing else that could have been said.
I recorded the first part of the Great Train Robbery play in two parts – The Robber’s Tale tonight and tomorrow the Policeman’s Tale. What a strange coincidence that Ronnie Briggs should die today. Of course, as Tom reminded me today, Ronnie Biggs had a very minor role in the Train Robbery. I know that some people admired the audacity of the train robbers, I find it hard to have any sympathy for them because of the what they did to the guard on the train, hitting him so hard that his life was destroyed – still the jokes have already started: In those days people stole from the banks, now the banks steal from us! Which leads me to my final musing, why do authorities fine banks for doing wrong? And who benefits from the fines which are collected? Surely it would be better if the money confiscated was distributed to those who have been harmed by the wrong-doing, but in fact if our bank treats us badly and is fined, then we are affected for a second time by banking with a bank which now has less resources and so can provide us with less services. The world has become a strange place.
We walked the dogs and by now the weather had turned really stormy. It was still dry but the winds are very strong. The promised horrendous weather looks as if it is arriving – hope the summerhouse is still there in the morning!
Tuesday 17th. December, 2013 – Things never go quite to plan
Tuesday, December 17, 2013, 10:55 PM
Men at work on the Summerhouse roof
Woke early because I had to get Rachel off to the doctor (although the new pills she got last night mean that she is in good spirits this morning). I walked both dogs and breakfasted in the farmhouse and was ready for Tom when he arrived about 9 a.m. The task identified by him for today was to put the roof shingles on the summerhouse. However we weren’t quite sure how to do this so I was despatched to look up the maker’s instructions (rather than the summerhouse manufacturer’s instructions). The first thing I discovered was that the shingle-maker felt that it was essential that shingles were fitted on a bed of mineral felt, something the summerhouse manufacturer did not think was necessary. So I went off to Pearson’s (who are now making record profits since my arrival in Duns) to buy thirty square metres of best mineral felt and some roofing nails. Soon we were hard at work installing the roofing felt and although we worked exceedingly hard it took most of the daylight hours – we did stop for coffee and a roll – and Tom and Digger did manage to fit two of the windows while I was left hammering in nails on the roof. We discovered that although the summerhouse has eight windows, we had only been sent ironmongery for two of them; so six will have to wait until the missing bits arrive.
Digger and Tom on the roof – Digger sits and contemplates the universe while Tom deals with the affairs of the day on his telephone
In fact Rachel ended up making no fewer than five separate journeys to Duns today – to visit the doctor, to take Mum to her hairdresser, to Pearson’s to buy another ten metres of roofing felt (yes, we miscalculated), to return a damaged roll of felt to Pearson’s and get a replacement, and to collect Mum from her hairdressing appointment. As darkness fell I came back into the Granary to get warm and was caught by a number of phone calls.
The first windows have been fitted
Soon it was time for fish-pie and rice pudding (with pineapple) and afterwards a family discussion before returning to the Granary just in time to walk the dogs under a full moon before bed.
And I have to report that today we lost the ashes. It has been a series in which almost everything went wrong which possibly could. Does this mean the end of England being one of the best teams in the world? Of course not. It is a setback but England have the players to bounce back and already Ben Stokes (of Durham, of course) has started to emerge as a player to watch for the future.
Monday 16th. December, 2013 – We start thinking about Christmas Gifts
Berwick High Street: not as busy as I expected in the run up to Christmas
Got up and walked both dogs as Rachel is not feeling very well. Enjoyed a hearty breakfast and then spent some time in the Granary expecting a phone call which never came (when one is retired that really doesn’t matter). Went across to the farmhouse to meet some friends of Mum who had come to take her away for a day out (they went to Eyemouth and lunched at the Golf Club there). We also had to deal with our balloon booking with Virgin Balloons. Rachel was really keen to go for a balloon flight and so, way back in 2008, I ordered and paid for a balloon trip. We duly arranged the day and the site from which we would fly but then, when the day came, the weather was unsuitable and our voucher was extended for a further six months. Well, we have been making bookings which the weather has cancelled and having our voucher extended now for more than five years. Having had more than five cancellations we could have our money refunded and walk away from it but that seems like giving up. So today we discussed with Virgin a trip from either Kelso or Selkirk sometime early in 2014. We hope to have a definite date by tomorrow evening. Incidentally, Rachel has now flown in a balloon – we flew over the Valley of the Kings in Egypt almost five years ago. It was such a good experience that Rachel can’t wait to do it all again.
Balloons below us -- from our balloon in Egypt
Rachel and I loaded the dogs into the car and went off to Spittal again to run the dogs by the sea. We now have a cage for Mix in the boot and he is very happy in it because he is with us in the car. We have gone through two dog guards (or rather, he has gone through two dog guards – straight through); and he has destroyed one seat belt (which is being replaced on Thursday by the local garage). So we had little choice. But it is a big cage and Mix is only in it when he is in the car.
Mix travels in style
At Spittal Rowan loves to race alongside the sea, charging the waves as they break on the sea shore and loving it when she gets taken by surprise and ends up extremely wet. Mix prefers to walk more sedately, attached to me, but exploring everything. It is a lovely place to walk the dogs and not many people will nip across to another country just to walk their dogs!
Rowan charges the waves
From Spittal we drove into Berwick and visited the shops there on the look-out for Christmas presents. I was surprised how quiet the town was, and how empty the shops were in this the week before Christmas. Yes, it had been extremely wet overnight but today was beautiful, with the sun shining, although it was getting much colder as the day went on. We didn’t stay too long because Rachel wasn’t feeling at her best and instead we drove on to Duns where Rachel had medicine to pick up. It wasn’t ready so we drove back to Mount Pleasant and had something to eat (I used my new microwave) before Rachel popped back into Duns to get her medicine. It still wasn’t there but the chemist phoned the doctor, the doctor spoke to Rachel over the telephone and five minutes later Rachel left the shop with her medicine. Pretty good service!
Dined in the farmhouse – celery soup, chicken and roast potatoes, rhubarb pie, custard and ice-cream: no wonder I have put on six kilos since retiring. Then came across to the Granary to watch the first-quarter final of University Challenge before starting work on finding addresses so that we can send some Christmas cards. Watched the News, walked Mix and came to bed. Tomorrow we are promised a little window of good weather and I hope that we shall roof the summer house and maybe even install some windows and a door – we’ll need all the daylight we can get. But that would be progress.
Sunday 15th. December, 2013 – The Third Sunday in Advent
The Christmas Tree looks good in Gavinton Church
Got up as soon as the alarm went off. I had two dogs to walk as Rachel wasn’t feeling well and had wisely decided to spend the morning in bed. Back from the dog walking I showered, breakfasted and went off to church at Gavinton with Mum. Our minister, Ann, had intended to be on holiday today but family illnesses had prevented that and she was in control of the service. Over the Sundays of Advent she has been presenting us with three-stranded Sunday addresses or rather, three small addresses throughout the service. Today continued that pattern.
We started with John the Baptist and his question, sent by his disciples to Jesus, ‘Are you the one we have been waiting for?’ Jesus response was to point at what he had been doing and to put the onus back on John to make up his own mind. As followers of the one for whom the world had been waiting, the onus is on us to ensure that what people see when they look at us, reflects the Lord we follow.
From Isaiah chapter thirty five, Ann spoke of the wilderness turned into a place of plenty and the road to holiness running through it. Sometimes we are frightened of having too expansive dreams for fear that we will be let down. This passage is an antidote to those feelings – dream big, Jesus is coming, God’s Son is about to be born into our world and now all things are possible.
Finally we thought about waiting – and about how we wait – the passage used was from the letter of James, and the two classes of people used as role models were farmers and prophets. Farmers plant the seeds and they then have to wait for the harvest. But they don’t sit idly by; they tend the ground, water it and weed it and in good time the crop appears. Prophets have a message to share but they too have to work on their ‘crop’. We are waiting for the promised return of our Lord – how we wait matters. Wait with expectation and wait sharing that expectation with others. That’s one of the important themes of Christmas and one not to be missed this year. I came away with a lot to think about.
Back home I was delighted to find that Rachel was feeling much better. So much better in fact that we went out and filled in some of the little holes in the summer house with wood filler before loading the dogs into the car and setting of for Spittal near Berwick where we walked the dogs on the beach. The sea was quite wild and Rowan loved attacking the waves and cavorting in the shallow water at the edge. From Spittal we drove to Tweedmouth where we visited first HomeBase (Rachel bought a scorpion power saw with a thirty percent discount) and then Curry’s (where I bought a small microwave for just £39. We do already own more than one microwave but although we have been searching for them for close on two months we still have not identified where they are (that is the scale of the problem our removal has set us). But this little ultra basic machine will do the job until we successfully locate our own ones.
Rachel made us afternoon tea and then she set off for Berwick to attend choral evensong while I rearranged everything to find a place for the microwave and I looked after the dogs, both now wonderfully docile after their long run on the beach. On Rachel’s return we joined the rest of the family for our evening meal – and chatted a long time around the table. Coming back to the Granary, we watched an old episode of New Tricks and the news before bed – taking in Andy Murray’s appropriate accolade (after winning Wimbledon) of Sports Personality of the Year. As we walked the dogs it was almost light, such was the illumination coming from the moon. The wind is breezy (there is more to come) and there is rain in the air, but just now it is a lovely light, fresh night. It may seem a strange observation but the hours of daylight seem very short now that I am retired. I suppose that I was always so busy at this time of year that it didn’t really matter whether it was light or dark but, now that I have time to go for walks and to work on building projects and want to be out and about, darkness falling at 4 p.m. is a bit of a nuisance.
Saturday 14th. December, 2013 – Progress before the storm
It’s only 9 a.m. but fear of the weather to come has got us started
Woke early and for the first time found the overnight cricket score heartening rather than disappointing, just one wicket down with 85 runs on the board. Walked Mix and got ready for a nine o’clock start on the summer house with Neil, Tom, Digger, Catriona and Dorothy. There was a window before the storm of about four hours and much to do. As the wind began to blow, we completed the bodywork of the summer house, got the roof joists installed and even managed to completed the cladding of the roof. Everything is now packed inside and we shall resume operations on Tuesday.
It is all beginning to take shape
Interested observers – Rowan and Mix look on from behind their gate
We did get a coffee break – to warm our hands really
So it was real progress and I was pleased we achieved so much because, as forecast, the storm arrived and it was ferocious. Neil and Catriona left at lunch time to drive back to Yorkshire. But after work was completed around 2 p.m. those of us who were left gathered in the farmhouse for a hot drink, a filled roll and a cake. There was a real sense of achievement in the air.
The roof joists are fitted
By the time the storm arrived, progress had been made
Back in the Granary as the storm began to reach its height: would the summerhouse be OK? Yes, of course it was, but the fence behind wasn’t and we will have to rebuild part of it after Church tomorrow. Dined with Olive, Mum, Digger and Rachel in the farmhouse and chatted for ages so that by the time we returned to the Granary there was only time to catch an old ‘New Tricks’ before walking the dogs and bed. By now the storm had totally blown itself out, but the weather forecasters tell us to expect more very strong winds over the next few days and it will get very cold. Well, what do you expect? We’re building a summer house!
Friday 13th. December, 2013 – After a slow start ....
The lorry carrying our summer house
Arose early to walk Mix and to be ready for the delivery of our summer house. Went across for breakfast and enjoyed a hearty one with an ear cocked for a phone call to say that the summer house was approaching Duns. In fact Tom had phoned to say that he was having lunch before the lorry finally arrived; the driver’s mate arriving at the front door of the farmhouse and asking my sister if she was expecting a shed. A shed indeed! This is our summer house, bought with the gift given to us on our retirement by the folk of Arrochar and Luss – the place in which I am going to write my book, the place to where Rachel and I will escape to raise a champagne glass when the sun is shining down on the Borders.
Tom, the Clerk of Works, discusses part of the delivery with Neil
Dorothy and Catriona assume I must be photographing them rather than the materials
The driver’s mate was a real Glasgow gentleman who knew Bowling well and shared my interest in boats, so we got on like a house on fire. It wasn’t long before everything was unloaded, the lorry had left and work started on building the summer house. I had a great team: Tom, Digger, Neil, Rachel, Catriona and Dorothy. First the floorboard joists went down and then the building began to rise around them. I do believe that if we had had a full day at it then we could have completed the building but days here are very short at this time of the year and we didn’t get started until the afternoon. So I was delighted with the progress we have made. However, the forecast for tomorrow is not great: we have been promised a window without rain between about nine and one in the afternoon and then, not only will the rains come down but the winds will rise. I am hoping that we might have the walls completed and the roof on before that happens. We shall see. But what fun it all was and how clever the kit is – each of the pieces fits together like a jig-saw puzzle and, while I am helped by having some real tradesmen here, it would be possible for people without their skill levels to build the summer house: at least that’s how it looks so far, but then we haven’t reached head-height yet.
Work starts
Catriona has a thing for picture frame windows – much to Digger’s amusement
In the evening we all dined in the farmhouse before retiring to the Granary. Mum produced an article written by a former minister of Glamis recounting the story of the Kirk there. I am going to try to type it out, it's a rather faded carbon copy, because these things are too important to be allowed to disappear. Congregations are the sum total of their story, their story shapes their future and folk need to have access to that story. I suspect that is true of families as well.
Darkness falls – we will return tomorrow
Watched an episode of Rebus before bed and walked both dogs because Rachel was already in bed. I should have recorded that this morning she went off and bought chicken-wire to secure the garden (I had to stay in case the lorry arrived) and then completed the wiring up of our fences. We are secure once more.
Thursday 12th. December, 2013 – Not quite as planned and a little disappointing
My team (Tom and Neil) are hard at work installing services for the summer house
Today did not work out as planned. Not in any way at all! I had expected to be in Sweden taking part in a Green Pilgrimage Planning meeting – and the added joy of being in Sweden today was that I was to stay over for tomorrow and take part in the celebrations for Saint Lucia (Saint Lucy) – a festival of light and a preparation for Christmas. However, the diary commitments of other people led to the urgent business being dealt with by a conference call and the meeting itself has been put back until the New Year – which will be fine (but just a pity to have missed Saint Lucia and all the girls with garlands with lighted candles in their hair. I’ve seen so many pictures but have never seen it for myself.
All over Sweden, Norway and in some parts of Finland and Italy St. Lucia’s Day will be celebrated tomorrow. There will be processions led by one girl with a wreath of candles on her head and followed by other girls each carrying a single candle. In part it all goes back to the days when we used the Julian Calendar which had 13th. December as the day of the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year. There are several stories about St, Lucia. In one she is a Sicilian Saint who was executed around 310. In another she was a kind woman who helped Christians hiding in the catacombs during the persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian – in order to carry as much food as possible to the Christians she wore candles on her head so that both of her hands would be free. I suppose she was the patron saint of all those who wear torches fitted to their heads so that they can work in the dark with their hands free -- when we are down at the narrow boat we see lots of runners pounding the tow path at night all with their head torches looking like disciples of Saint Lucia. Clearly the festival predates Christianity in Scandinavia and centred around the winter solstice, but the story of St. Lucia has been a way of Christianising the tradition and using it to bolster the new faith in those far off days.
However, not having to make the trip enabled me to be on site for the delivery of the summer house for which we have been waiting for several weeks. Early this morning, after Mix had been walked, Tom and Neil arrived to start getting things ready for the delivery, particularly to prepare for the installation of the services. All went well and we were congratulating ourselves on the excellent day – dry and warm. However, while we were sitting having coffee the phone rang – the delivery van had broken down (its diesel tank had split) and the delivery would be delayed until tomorrow.
Workers’ Playtime
So that was a second disappointment; but I was able to do other things working around telephone calls. I went into Duns and ordered a new seat-belt to replace the one vandalised by Mix before we got him his secure cage to transport him at the back of the car and I took Tom to collect his chain-saw which had been professionally sharpened.
Mum had three friends from Galashiels to visit. They all went off to a lunch at Gavinton Church and when they returned they saw round the farm steading before setting off for home as it got dark. With unexpected time on my hands I went into the barn and found some of the furniture which Rachel had been looking for – two small desks (and the inserts for the table which Olive was wanting).
We dined together as a family in the early evening, enjoying a sherry as we gathered in the farmhouse family room and then back in the Granary I watched Question Time from Johannesburg in the wake of Nelson Mandela’s death. It was interesting and reflected both the enormous distance which South Africa has travelled since Mandela became President and the enormous distance which South Africa still has to travel in the years to come.
We got a fright during the evening as Rowan escaped from the garden. Fortunately her joy was in completing the escape and having succeeded she just sat on the other side of the gate wanting to be back with us. I was surprised most of all that it was Rowan and not Mix who had identified the weakness in our defences – it was a little bit of fence which had been covered by foliage which has now died off, exposing a tiny way out of the garden. Tomorrow it will be secured!
Wednesday 11th. December, 2013 – Christmas is getting closer
There were crowds of people at the farm sale I attended today
Got up and walked Mix and then came back to the Granary for a shower to ensure that I was read for Tom when he called to collect me at 9.45 a.m. In the event he arrived with Dorothy and a couple of friends from Yorkshire who are staying with them for a few days. Together we all set off for the farm sale which was being held not far from here. We drove up to the farm and the first thing we saw was a field set out with items to be auctioned. There were piles of fence posts, feeding troughs, equipment for use on the farm and several tractors and other vehicles, including a very smart Landrover and a combine harvester. The auction, however, started in a huge barn in which were piles of smaller items including chain saws and lawnmowers and many items which I haven’t a clue what they were. The auctioneer moved quickly through the items getting them sold and moving on.
I liked the picture – it seemed to me to evoke Thomas Hardy
In the barn next to the auction barn there was a coffee stall where we enjoyed excellent coffee and glorious sausages in rolls. And, of course, we sat on bales of hay. I caught Dorothy and her pals enjoying the seat:
We came home, dropped Dorothy at home while Tom, Neil and I went into Duns to buy electrical cable for the summerhouse which will arrive tomorrow. I returned to the Granary where Rachel was preparing to go to Duns. So we loaded the dogs into the car, drove to Duns and visited the post office and the chemist before driving down to the town park and walking the dogs. It is an excellent park, lots of walks – some of them leaving from the park for quite long distance ambles – three tennis courts, a bowling green and as well as the war memorial, a memorial to twenty seven Polish servicemen who trained in Duns and lost their lives during the second world war. I suspect that this is why Duns is linked with a city in Poland. I will have to find out more about this. There is also a statue of Duns Scotus erected by the Francescan Order in 1966 on the seven hundredth anniversary of his birth here. John Duns Scotus was one of the great thinkers of his time. I will return to the park with my camera and at that time will write more about his life and thought. So quite a bit of homework to be done!
We went from the park to Pearsons where Rachel selected a Christmas tree. Then it was back home and on with the putting up of the Christmas decorations. Rachel always likes to ensure that our home is filled with decorations and the fact that we are not yet fully moved in has not stopped her this year. It is little short of miraculous that, unable as we are to find clothes and other important items to make ourselves at home, Rachel has succeeded in laying her hands on our Christmas decorations.
Rachel has been busy with decorations
We dined with Olive, Digger and Mum in the farmhouse and then came back to complete the decorations and tidy up the mess which putting them up creates (more so this year with Rowan anxious to lend a hand by chewing up any left over Christmas tree branch which was going a-begging). We watched the first part of a film about Lord Lucan. It presented pretty unsavoury times: I was only vaguely aware of the Lord Lucan story because in 1974 Rachel and I were living in Italy, working at the Sailor’s Rest.
Finally we walked the dogs – the lights in the windows reminded me that it will soon be Christmas and that this is going to be a very special Christmas for us all down at Mount Pleasant.
A Welcoming Window
Tuesday 10th. December, 2013 -- A Good News Day
Our old family favourite Christmas decorations are starting to reappear
Got up and walked Mix before breakfast and then came across to the Granary intending to finish my book (which I did this afternoon). However, on checking my emails I found the request for music for the service at Arrochar so I spent a bit of time preparing that. I enjoy doing that and now that I am retired there is no pressure of time and I have rediscovered the pleasure I got from doing it in the early years when it was all new to me.
I can’t quite remember when we started controlling the hymns at Arrochar by midi file but I’m guessing that it would be around 2002. Davina had taken ill; there was no one to play the organ and it was Christmas time. On Boxing Day I drove down to Newcastle to my brother’s home. He took me into a Boxing Day sale in the biggest organ shop I had ever seen and there we got a real bargain – a Yamaha organ that could be controlled by midi file with a floppy disk player on it. I had only the vaguest idea of what to do with it. I thought at first I would have to play each tune onto the machine (but that I could do this at home over and over again until I got it right). Then I thought I might be able to download midi files from the internet and use them. But the great breakthrough was to get a computer programme which allowed me to write hymns onto disks and play these through the computer. Nothing was too much of a problem now, no hymn was too difficult to reproduce and I thanked my good fortune in having been made to wade through so many musical theory examinations when I was young. It was being put to good use some fifty years later on. Here in my study I still have that same organ sitting behind me – the Church has progressed to an even more sophisticated one – and when I am not producing hymns then I produce Gilbert and Sullivan and sing along with the organ. (If only these machines had existed in the days of our Gilbert and Sullivan theatre group.)
In amongst my clothes, the organ I wouldn’t be without
No sooner had I prepared the music and sent it off to Jamie than the phone rang. My summer house is arriving on Thursday. Contacted Tom who said that he would be here to help unload and who told me that we would be drinking tea in the summer house by Sunday. I can’t help thinking that this might be a tad optimistic but who knows?
Went into Duns to sort out my money at the bank and when I came home I walked Mix (he had been with me in the new cage in the back of the car and behaved perfectly). After the walk I finished my book before dinner.
We ate together in the farmhouse – our little community coming together to eat, as it does every evening – and then Rachel and I came back to our home in the Granary. I spent some time in the study tracking down some information about the cutlery my mother got from America more than sixty years ago. Her Aunt, in the days following the second world war when my parents were recently married sent one place-setting every so often until they had accumulated a full set. It was really appreciated because in those days in Britain such luxuries were neither available nor affordable. The cutlery is called Queen Bess and is Tudor Silver Plate. You can still get it on ebay although it is almost always to be found in the United States.
Stopped to watch a Midsomer Murder which I hadn’t seen before and carried on to watch Law and Order UK which I really enjoy. Should really have been watching the reports of the celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life from South Africa – I caught bits of it on the news. I thought that President Obama spoke well but I was sorry that there was no European to speak about the anti-apartheid campaigns which were hugely supported here and which in part contributed to the regime change in South Africa.
Walked the dog and was surprised to discover that the wind has blown up again. This certainly seems to be rather a windy spot to live.
Monday 9th. December, 2013 – A Long Sleep-In
Monday, December 9, 2013, 11:56 PM
Duns looks splendid with its new Christmas Lights
Digger was taking Olive off to the station at Berwick later than usual this morning – and afterwards was continuing on to the Duns medical practice for a consultation – so Rachel and I decided last night that we wouldn’t go across to the farmhouse this morning but would instead sleep in. In the event Rachel did that better than I did. I awoke at about half past nine, got up and walked both dogs – they walk really well together now -- and when I came back Rachel was still sound asleep. She eventually woke up around half-past ten.
At the weekend Rachel had identified her large sideboard and our task for today was to liberate it from the barn, bring it into the Granary and then take the other sideboard (which we have been using) back to the barn in its place. With help from Digger we successfully achieved all of this and Rachel spent quite a bit of time transferring all of the kitchen ware from one sideboard to the other. I brought in the box containing all of our cutlery and (to get ahead of myself) spent the evening sorting it out while watching University Challenge and Panorama. The News and Newsnight were also on but honesty prevents me for saying that I saw them – the warmth of the lounge is very conducive to a little nap.
In the afternoon Rachel went to Berwick. I walked Mix here because I had to be in to receive a package from Amazon – the delivery firm here is terrific. I put in my order yesterday, I got a text yesterday to say it would be delivered today and I got another text this morning saying that it would be delivered by ‘John’ between 1.50 and 2 .50 this afternoon. It was delivered at 1.55 p.m.
The article in question was a dog cage to put in the back of my car. We have experimented with dog guards but Mix always manages to break through them and so, as a result, I have been tending not to take Mix with me when I go out in the car. He is perfectly happy getting into the cage (which is the same size as the boot in any event). In fact I had ordered a cage a little bigger than the one Rowan has but it wouldn’t fit into the car – so Rowan’s cage is now in the car and she has the new even larger one as her sleeping accommodation in the house.
I used to believe that these cages were not very kind but Rowan loves hers. It provided security for her when she was a very young puppy and now she wants to go into it at night. The rest of the day the door is left wide open and she often goes and sits in it – especially if we go out. But then she has so much freedom that I don’t suppose she bothers. Different for Mix, I don’t think that he will ever sleep anywhere other than at my feet. The dogs are getting on so well now. When Rachel is out it is quite common for both of them to crush in under my desk and roll up together – those who have known Mix over the last year will know what a change that is. He really does now treat her as his little sister (she is now quite a bit larger than him as well).
Paid for the road tax on Rachel’s Bongo today and also booked tickets for us all for the Christmas Pantomime in Berwick. Just ordering the tickets made me realise how near Christmas is – and how different it is this year with me being able to plan to go to the theatre! Rachel sent me one of these Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendars on my computer and every day I open the next page and enjoy the scene and the music and the little message which comes from the book you can find and read in the library of the Stately Home (Downton?) in which the advent scene is set.
When we walked the dogs tonight it was extremely dark and then, after we had been out for about five minutes, the moon reappeared from behind a cloud and the whole of the night sky lit up. I don’t suppose we have a street light for several miles around us and so we are more conscious of the sky than ever before. Somehow it is all very friendly.
(Should have recorded that I sat up last night and watched the end of the cricket match against Australia. England got well and truly trounced but it was good to see Matt Prior finding some form with the bat. Ever an optimist, I will be hoping for better things when the third test starts on Friday.)
Sunday 8th. December, 2013 – The Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 8, 2013, 11:37 PM
It may be damp but Rowan and Rachel are having fun as the Duns Christmas lights are turned on
Arose, walked the dog and breakfasted before travelling with Rachel and Mum to Gavinton Church for the service for the Second Sunday of Advent. Met Tom and Dorothy on the way and walked with them to the Church. The theme was John the Baptist, The Bible and Vocation Sunday. Ann, the minister, spoke about John the Baptist – somewhat of a scary man dressed in strange clothes who called people ‘snakes’ and other less endearing names – who pointed the crowds away from himself to one who was to come after him; about the Bible – translated into 2,551 languages (I think I remember that correctly, but I could be half a dozen out), and translated into 400 modern versions in the English language: perhaps we could spare a few of our many versions for the 4 – 5,000 languages into which the Bible has still not been translated? And while we are on questions, perhaps if we have several Bibles ourselves we might pass one on to someone who has none? Ann also spoke a little about the different ways in which people treated the Bible, nailing her colours to the mast (in my view, and in my words) to the more liberal wing of the Church of Scotland. Under the theme of Vocation Sunday, Ann spoke of her work with the Church of Scotland Selection Committee explaining how difficult she found it to make a judgement on other people’s calls; hardly surprising as some people were so sure of their Call while others were resisting it fiercely. But Call, she reminded us, isn’t only to the full-time ministry of the Church of Scotland but to membership and parish activity.
I found myself remembering that when I presented myself to St. Mary’s College (in the days before selection schools) Matthew Black, the Principal of St. Mary’s, spoke to me but briefly on the first occasion I met him. ‘So you want to be a minister. Well come here and stick in and we will make you into a good minister.’ I don’t know how much they succeeded. I do know that they took the task seriously but the point of my recollection is that the basic premise has changed. Now we select, then we accepted those who offered themselves and did all we could to make them into appropriate vessels for the conveying of God love through the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Over the years I recall many, many discussions with Matthew Black as he took seriously his initial commitment. If I didn’t succeed it certainly wasn’t for lack of effort on his part.
Back home to minor disaster. The dogs had removed the curtains from the kitchen. I don’t know why – were they trying to get out? Were they angry at being left? I don’t know which dog it was – Mix or Rowan or both? I do know we can’t allow this to continue so I stayed at home while Olive, Digger, Mum, Rachel, Tom and Dorothy all went to Paxton House to their up-market craft fayre. They all enjoyed it very much and found lots of suitable presents for girls but few for men (it was always thus). I read my book and also caught up with the musings of the press about England’s Australian debacle, how sad is that?
I should say a little about my book. It’s called Saint’s Rest by Keith Miles who has written many, many books. Some he has written under the name Edward Marston, some Martin Inigo and some Conrad Allen. In all he has written getting on for seventy and once I have completed the one I am reading now I will have read them all. He writes a series about a golfer who stumbles into crimes to be solved; about a sports writer who does the same, about an architect from Wales in 1930s America; about an Elizabethan Theatre Company; about Commissioners of William the Conqueror investigating irregularities in the Doomsday Book; a Restoration series set in London in the 1660s and 70s; a Railway detective series set in the 1850s; a military series set during the War of the Spanish Succession; a series set during the first world war based on a police inspector in London; and a series of detective books written around the great liners which sailed around the world in the early years of the twentieth century. I found the first one I read knocked down to almost nothing in the remainder shop at the outlets in Alexandria and ever since them I have read through his canon and have enjoyed them all. They are light, well written, knowledgeable and firmly set in their different periods. The stories are also well constructed with all the twists and turns one expects from a detective story (some are more of ‘who-dunnit’ novels than others). I’m well on the way to completing the final one today and I will miss not having more to read.
The Christmas Tree lights look great
Set off with Rachel and Mum to see the Christmas lights being turned on at Duns. We were able to park in the main square, I thought that we were early but just as we walked into the centre of the square there was the sound of pipes and the pipe band came up the street, everyone dressed as Santa Claus, everyone with a full beard and moustache, and playing ‘We three Kings of Orient are’. It was magnificent. Suddenly crowds began to appear and for almost half an hour the band played – Deck the Halls, We wish you a Merry Christmas, Jingle Bells and more traditional carols as well.
The Band of Piping Santas sounded superb
Just before the time for things to start, the bank marched off, returning to lead in the ‘real’ Father Christmas in his sled pulled by a farmer’s four by four and with Lucy, the winsome lass, sitting beside Father Christmas. The President of the Rotary (I guess that’s who he was) thanked everyone who had made everything possible and Lucy pressed the plunger which turned on the lights on the huge Christmas tree in the centre of the square – the other magnificent lights around the square were already illuminated and looked superb. All the while, members of the Rotary and friends were handing out cups of mulled wine to the large crowd of local folk who were enjoying the event. In the corner of the square there was a children’s round-about doing a good trade. Everyone was having fun. I was so glad that we had gone. It was a magnificent occasion.
Lucy, the winsome lass, arrives in style with Father Christmas
Regarding my entry yesterday when I recalled the efforts of Frank Tyson in Australia (it was actually in 1955), my brother identified the calypso which was written to celebrate Tyson’s success. It can be heard here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ieaxt-ukFzs
We all dined in the farmhouse and then, later in the evening, Rachel and I watched an episode of New Tricks which we hadn’t seen before. It was very good. We walked the dogs – the wind is getting up again, that will test our remedial works. But for now, bed calls.
Saturday 7th. December, 2013 -- Make and Mend
Saturday, December 7, 2013, 11:17 PM
An awful photo (I must learn to use flash and to aim properly) of Digger (almost), Tom, Bill, Mum, Olive and Morag
I am going to start presenting some pictures of the different parts of Mount Pleasant. The farmhouse kitchen is undoubtedly the heart of the complex. When we came to meet with the previous owners we met them in the kitchen around the kitchen table -- and they left the table and its chairs when they moved on. There are two ways into the farmhouse. Both require you to go through the kitchen before accessing the lounge or the upstairs area of the house. It is cosy, welcoming and friendly -- and all of us meet to share our meals here. Breakfast around 9 a.m. and dinner, normally served sometime between 6.30 and 7.30 p.m. This room embodies all that we sought to achieve in our experiment in communal living and it is a very happy one.
Rose and walked Mix. It is really cold this morning. Tom arrived during breakfast: our task today is to try to put right some of the damage done by the storm a couple of days ago. First we enjoyed our breakfast and then we said good-bye to Bill and Morag; it has been wonderful having them both with us and we all hope that it will not be too long before they return.
Tom started work by fixing a baton onto the exterior wooden gate. That should hold it in place no matter the weather. Next we re-erected the fence between the Granary and the Hen House gardens. The wind had not just blown down the fence but had uprooted the posts which were embedded in concrete! We got it all re-assembled and then we screwed it back together before adding a whole battery of reinforcing posts to ensure that it won’t get blown down again. It would be good to think that this was overkill but, given the way the weather has been changing throughout the country as a whole, perhaps it is just common sense.
There was still more to do but before we could do it we went up to Pearsons to buy more fence posts and some extremely strong masonry rawlplugs. Having loaded everything into his trailer and dropped me off at the farmhouse, Tom went off for lunch and I helped Rachel who was unearthing and then unpacking and then displaying her Christmas decorations.
Soon Tom was back and we re-fixed the little gate to the farmhouse wall and then provided reinforcing for the main Granary fence. It was still standing but it had taken an awful battering.
After coffee, shortbread and lots of chat, Tom set off for home. I came up to the study having first prepared my own lunch (reheating a cheese and bean pie made for me by Olive). I am having terrible trouble with my email. I can’t even access it at present because I am getting sent so many spam messages – sixteen thousand today (that’s the figure: 16,000) and because my other (new) email address is linked to my existing address, I can’t use it either. I have contacted Andy asking him to break that link but for the present I am not able to be contacted by email. I am actually not sure that this is a problem now that I have retired. The Royal Mail works, and my telephone when I am in, and nothing is dreadfully urgent now anyway – important, yes, but that’s not the same as being urgent.
Got my study tidied and wondered why I was so very warm: I still have two large sweaters on! Read the cricket reports. We are not doing well in Australia and it all seems down to a superb session of fast bowling by Mitchell Johnson. Well, that happens. I remember (at second hand) how in the years just after the second world war, Frank Tyson did something similar to the Australians in Australia. He took seven for twenty-seven, I think it was from memory, and really shook the Australian team up. Now, it seems, the boot is on the other foot. However, Ian Bell, whom I had tipped at breakfast yesterday to make a hundred, ended up unbeaten on seventy-two.
Dined all together in the farmhouse and afterwards Rachel and I retired to the Granary where we watched an episode of New Tricks which we had missed, followed it with a short one-hour Taggart, quite reminiscent of old times. Walked the dogs and came to bed. Tomorrow is Sunday and I am looking forward to the Advent journey continuing. We are also planning to visit a Christmas Fayre at Paxton House and going in to Duns for the turning on of the Christmas lights – maybe I’ll get a chance to read my book as well!
Friday, December 6, 2013, 11:23 PM
Dr. Dorothy provides reassurance to Digger and his hens
I was up early to walk Mix and when I returned Dorothy and Tom were here at the chicken run with Digger. Dorothy is something of an expert in hens and she was giving Digger’s hens a once over because he was concerned that their moulting might not have been natural. Dorothy was able to give him (and them?) reassurance.
Bill, Morag, Mum, Rachel and I (along with Mix and Rowan) set off for a day out in Rachel’s Berlingo. (Mix was in Rowan’s cage in the back – at least we had him under control).
Our first port of call was Holy Island where we visited the Priory and the Church and then we took Bill, Morag and Mum to the Heritage Centre to see the exhibition about Vikings, Lindisfarne and the Lindisfarne Gospels. They enjoyed the exhibition and the film which they saw. The dogs also enjoyed a long walk.
We drove to the Barn at Beal for lunch – another good meal (they had fed us well when we were here with Cathy a few weeks ago) but a real surprise was awaiting us when we returned to the car. Mix had escaped from the cage and was happily sitting in the front seat. He had pulled inwards one of the ends of the cage and then climbed over it and made good his escape. We put the cage together again and installed Mix once more.
At several places on our travels, flags were at half-mast to honour the memory of Nelson Mandela
We drove first to Bamburgh and then on to Sea Houses which is a mixture of real tourist shops and some very attractive shops as well. I liked the National Trust Shop and another which had some really quite interesting paintings and prints. We also saw the Christmas lights as darkness was starting to fall. We made our way home and had a drink before dinner in the farmhouse after which we retired to the Granary where Bill, Morag, Mum and Olive joined us for coffee and happy chatter until bed-time. As we walked the dogs before bed it was snowing gently. It is not forecast to last but it is really rather attractive. What a truly lovely day!
Thursday 5th. December, 2013 – A Mighty Storm and some Sad News
Thursday, December 5, 2013, 11:16 PM
There was a fence here yesterday
I slept fitfully – not least because there was a huge storm raging around the farm steading; but also because our alarm clock has a storm warning on it and this seemed to bleep every few minutes during the night. I got up and was taken aback at the damage which had been done. Our back garden fence had been blown out of the ground and the little gate through which one moved from the courtyard to the front of the farm house had been blown off its hinges. Walking Mix I found part of the exterior fence lying in the middle of the road. I wondered how it had survived the traffic until I realised that there was no traffic. Trees had fallen and we were almost totally cut off!
One of the casualties was the chicken house -- total destroyed by the storm: but not before the hens had got out. Digger spent much of the morning rebuilding their home and trying to ensure that it was warmer than it had been before, now that the really cold weather is arriving. He filled it with fresh wood-shavings and tells us that the hens were extremely grateful.
Back in the farmhouse we had visitors: a lady with three children from Bogend Farm had parked her car in our drive and was in the farmhouse with Olive and our guests. Keri had been driving the children along to catch the school bus when a tree fell, narrowly missing her car, and also cutting off the school bus. So although Bogend is only a few hundred yards away it was totally inaccessible. We enjoyed meeting Keri and the children but while we were chatting the power went off and we were without electricity for a couple of hours or so. I realised how fortunate we are to have gas in the farmhouse and that both buildings have wood-burning stoves.
Eventually the road was cleared and we said good-bye to our neighbours. Bill, Morag and I set off for Duns so that I could show them around and also buy some bits and pieces that we were requiring. We also bought some cream cakes for the snack lunch we were to share. We all gathered around the farmhouse kitchen table for ham sandwiches, cream cakes and coffee. After sitting and enjoying the warmth of the lounge – it is very cold outside (if not snow then certainly sleet) – we set off for Gavinton for afternoon tea with Tom and Dorothy. Morag saw the goats – of interest to her because she and Bill had kept a goat earlier in their lives. We saw around Tom and Dorothy and Tom’s daughter’s home. It is a conversion of a former Free Kirk and a splendid building especially after all of the work which they have had done.
Back home, it was soon time to join everyone in the farmhouse for drinks before and then the evening meal with lots of chat and good humour. I came back to the Granary around ten to learn of the death of Nelson Mandela. The news would have saddened me because I have always admired the way he responded to the opportunities of bringing his country together after he was released from prison. But it hit me harder because of my visit to South Africa a bit more than a year ago. So many people then spoke of Nelson Mandela, we visited museums which told his story, we visited his home in Soweto, we saw how there were still huge divisions in the country but that these were now largely between the haves and have-nots, rather than between black and white. He was a true reconciler and Nelson Mandela and reconciliation will often occur in the same sentence as history records his achievements. Yes, there is still a huge way to go but the achievements so far and the manner in which these achievements have been made will only be fully understood as time passes. He was a man with great qualities.
As I walked the dogs tonight (Rachel had retired to bed) I reflected that Nelson Mandela was someone who really had changed the world. If he had urged recrimination instead of reconciliation then the whole world would be a different place today. He was a man of peace -- but that is not to say that he was not a man of strong views, stubborn and forthright. He understood that lasting peace required something for everyone, black and white and his success can be measured for me by the fact that when we were in South Africa all of the white people we met accepted that the changes which had been made were for the best -- and that further change had to come. It is a journey which has only begun: but what a journey.
I found myself remembering that when I was at St. Andrews University, in my very first year, Winston Churchill died. Our Professor of English, Professor Falconer, walked into the lecture theatre at 9 a.m. to lecture to the General English class. On this morning he came in, set down his papers, looked at us (there must have been a hundred in the lecture room) and then spoke without notes and with passion about why Winston Churchill was the greatest man of our time and of how the world would have been so very much the poorer without his life. Tomorrow morning, somewhere, I hope that someone does the same for Nelson Mandela and that those who hear will recall what was said as vividly as I recall Professor Falconer after almost fifty years. (Of course, in today's world, the television does that for all of us and there will be many tributes over the coming days.)
I should record that I was meant to meet with a lady from the BBC this morning to record an interview for Christmas. This didn’t happen as there was no transport in this part of Scotland this morning: trains were cancelled, roads were blocked and the storm raged. I don’t know whether it will be possible to be recorded at a later date. We shall see. We have planned to go to Holy Island and Bamburgh tomorrow but the weather forecast tonight suggests that the east coast should be avoided and that much of it is being evacuated. So we still plan to do something special with Bill and Morag but we are not yet sure what that will be.
Wednesday 4th. December, 2013 – Special Visitors and a lovely meal
Thursday, December 5, 2013, 01:21 AM
Digger has been making progress with his small holding
Woke, walked Mix and breakfasted in the farmhouse. Then while Rachel drove Mum to her reading group and walked Rowan, I loaded a whole lot of boxes back into the barns – these were boxes which have been unpacked to discover what was in them and have now been packed again because we don’t have room for them in the Granary. Getting things sorted is going to be quite a performance.
Rachel returned, Mum had enjoyed her reading group and now Rachel and I set about cleaning the Granary. I thought wooden floors got dirtier than carpets but Rachel tells me that it is just that the dirt is more noticeable. Got the whole place clean and everywhere is now tidy except for the landing at the top of the stairs. Walked Mix in the fading light – the silhouettes of the trees against the sky line are absolutely magnificent. It’s not something I noticed in Argyll because of the hills all around. Here we seem to have so much more sky and you can see for miles.
The skyline from Mount Pleasant
Bill and Morag arrived to spend a few days with us. Life was made so much easier for me at Luss because of Bill and Morag – Bill, a retired minister, always was there to stand in for me when I needed him and took the initiative on many occasions; Morag ran so many of our special events, working in the kitchen or the Church or the Pilgrimage Centre as required. They are also, and more importantly, very special friends. I am so pleased to have them with us here. Tom and Dorothy, our other special friends, came along for the evening as well.
We had a splendid meal prepared for us by Olive in the farmhouse and afterwards we all sat together in the Granary in front of the stove and talked about submarines and football teams, about our adventures here in Duns, about keeping goats (Dorothy does and Morag has), about chickens and, once Mum joined us, about the History Group – Mum had been away at their meeting this evening.
Once everyone had gone to bed I stayed up to watch the start of the Adelaide Test match on television. The pitch looks flat and slow and it will be a hard slog for either team to get a result from it – at least that’s how it looks after one hour’s play!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013, 12:12 AM
Having climbed over many boxes, Dorothy and Rachel have found the table
Woke, walked Mix and went for breakfast – I was locked out of the farmhouse. Went back to the Granary assuming everyone had slept in. Had a banana and got ready for the day’s work: finding the dining room table and extricating it from its home in one of the barns. Just as I was about to start, Mum came looking for me to enquire why I hadn’t come for breakfast. It turns out the door had been locked inadvertently and my breakfast was waiting for me. So I went and enjoyed a late breakfast.
Then it was time to start work on finding the table. It is a special table which belonged originally to Professor Forester of New College. He wanted it to live in a manse and so he gave it to my father. (I think the truth of it was that he came to Dad’s induction at Newtyle (my father’s first charge) and was taken aback to discover that my parents had so little appropriate furniture so he gave them this table and a matching sideboard.) They graced the manse in Luss for many years until we got the huge table which had seen service in the Royal Navy. Then our table was transferred to Wemyss – it travelled in our Subaru and on the way there the rear axle broke and that was the end of the Subaru (and almost of the table as well). It travelled down to Mount Pleasant in the first removal and all that we knew was that it was somewhere in one of two barns. Tom and Dorothy arrived and all of us set out to find the missing table -- not only were there many boxes to circumnavigate but everything was covered with blue tarpaulins, and it was very dark.
Dorothy and Rachel managed to uncover it and then Tom and I joined in and succeeded in lifting it over many other items of furniture – desks, a harmonium, bookcases – and out into the light of day.
Tom and I went up to Pearsons to buy screws to reassemble the legs – the screws had been put carefully into another item of furniture with a drawer but we have no item which item of furniture or where that item of furniture might be.
Tom gets ready to lift the table top as Rachel looks on – Dorothy is horrified that I am taking a picture
Finally the table is assembled and now sits looking really good in the front room of the farmhouse – reunited once again with its sideboard.
The table where it belongs
Tom and I spent much of the rest of the day ensuring that Ianthe is wrapped up against the winter storms. It was good to be back on board. She is looking good but with so much to do it will be next summer before we are able to start work on her again. By that time we will have built the summer house, completed the hen house and created a loom room in which Sandy and Rachel can ply their weaving craft skills.
Ianthe is ready for winter
I got a telephone call from the BBC who wondered if I would agree to be interviewed about being retired. I think that their angle is speaking to folk for whom this Christmas will be different from last Christmas. I said I would be happy to take part and the presenter is coming to see me later in the week. I also got a call from the lady who plays the organ at the local church, wondering if the system we used in Luss and Arrochar might function here. She had spoken to us earlier and that was why we went to the church to experiment on Monday afternoon. I was able to report that in an emergency we would certainly be able to ensure that they were not without music although there were still things which we needed to work out to get the best from the organ.
Soon after this the Amazon delivery van brought me my purchase of a beard trimmer. It had only cost £7 .02p and I had ordered it yesterday because I still haven’t found my own one. It is somewhere in the barns but as it took a day to find a dining room table, you can imagine how long it would have taken to find a beard trimmer.
Dined in the farmhouse with Mum and Digger and then returned to the Granary to tidy – while we had been releasing the table we found all kind of other things. These got brought into the house and now we had to find places to keep them. The walls are already beginning to bulge. I found a box which said ‘Dane’s clothes’ on it. Opening it excitedly I discovered that it contained my Princeton doctor’s hood, my sea boots and my dressing gown – I could have wished for items which were a little more useful.
With enough done for this evening we stopped and watched ‘Lewis’ in front of the stove. It has got much colder today and it is lovely to relax in this way. How fortunate we are.
Monday 2nd. December, 2013 – Technology
The main lawn at Mount Pleasant -- Digger has cut it and today has collected all the leaves
Arose and walked Mix before breakfast and then spent this morning in a conference Skype Call with Martin and Alison from the Alliance of Religions and Conservation and Chris, a notable conservationist. The purpose of the ‘meeting’ (and what a green way of meeting this was) was to take forward our Green Pilgrimage plans for the European Chapter of this now world-wide network. I have agreed to represent the network in Scotland and I will be attending the meetings of the Scottish Pilgrim Routes Forum and making myself available to meet with pilgrimage places who would like to become involved as well as helping places already involved to develop their pilgrimage plans. I have also agreed to help to bring in a representative of pilgrimage in Wales, working closely with Chris – a meeting will be called early in the New Year and a team of interested people have already been identified. And so that I am seen to be entirely Celtic, I have undertaken to attempt to open up links with Ireland as well. There is the possibility of considerable European Funding for this project and Chris and I will try to work something up before we meet our colleagues in Sweden at the end of February. It was underlined to me again today just how much these projects tick all of the boxes for large-scale funding from Europe – they bring together so many different strands of community involvement, they involve faith communities and secular authorities, they are conservationist, they enable other activities to grow out of them, they create employment and so on. It is a wonderful opportunity and I am happy to be given the chance to be part of it. I also believe that it is a colossal opportunity for the Church – something which the church in Wales has already grasped and has appointed staff who will work to develop these opportunities.
After the conference I wrote up my notes before setting out for Gavinton Church with Rachel to have a look at the organ. It seems that the congregation sometimes struggles to find an organist and it was one of the organists who asked Rachel if we would see if it could be controlled by midi. It can – but we haven’t yet worked out the best way of doing this. In an emergency we could do it tomorrow but if it isn’t as much of an emergency as all that then we will have time to work out the best way of doing it!
Back home I started to plan some of the Green Pilgrimage activities I hope to generate in coming weeks and before I knew it, it was time to walk the dog and go for our evening meal: steak and mushroom pie with potatoes and carrots followed by ice-cream and brambles. I love brambles.
Back in the Granary we walked the dogs and went to bed very early – we have a great deal to do tomorrow. (While I was busy in the ways described, Digger was working on the garden. The lawn has been cut and today all the leaves – and there were many of them – have been collected up and added to his collection of compost.)
Sunday 1st. December, 2013 – The First Sunday in Advent
Gavinton Church in the winter sunshine where we celebrated the start of a new church year today
Rose, walked the dog – it had been raining but it was beautiful now – and I didn’t see a single car on the roads the whole duration of my walk. Came back and showered before breakfast and then with Mum and Rachel I set off for Gavinton Church to celebrate the first Sunday in Advent, the start of the journey towards Christmas and the beginning of a new church year. Ann, the minister, was back in post and she conducted a service on the theme of Advent, Aids and Andrew with three smaller meditations in place of the normal address. The first Advent candle was lit and the meditation centred on the promise of Jesus return but the impossibility of knowing when that was to be. Jesus didn’t know but trusted his Father, and that in turn taught the disciples about how to trust. In any event the message of advent is not about waiting but about living the faith now trusting that God will return to claim his world for his own. So the candle becomes a symbol of hope for the future and trust in the here and now. We were reminded that today is world AIDs Day – a marking day which goes right back to the 1980s. Too many people continue to suffer from AIDs, but progress is being made if only the medicines which are now available could be made accessible to all. The Church of Scotland is playing its part but there remains much to do. And, of course, yesterday was St. Andrew’s Day. Andrew, the apostle who brought his brother to faith – perhaps we all think too big and want to evangelise the world: if we all just brought our brothers to faith how the world would change. Andrew it was who brought the little boy with the loaves and fishes to Jesus and enabled the crowd to be fed. Faith and food – not a bad patron saint; not a bad role model for those of us who seek to walk in his footsteps as we seek to be disciples of Jesus. The journey to Christmas has begun.
Back home Rachel learned that her ‘cello had been repaired and went off to Tom’s house (where the repairer had delivered it) to collect it and bring it home. She was delighted. I spent part of the afternoon finding out about some of the special facilities which televisions seem to have nowadays, I can access my computer and even make a Skype call through the television. After six weeks I finally got round to reading the instructions!
Saw that my friend Laurence Whitley, the minister of Glasgow Cathedral, had conducted a special service for those who had died in the helicopter tragedy on Friday night, and, of course, for their families and friends. I have a huge admiration for Laurence who is an example of all that is best in the Church of Scotland and who, from the bits I saw on television, spoke the words which needed to be heard on this difficult occasion.
In the late afternoon Rachel went off to Berwick to attend Choral Evensong. I stayed to look after the dogs and to visit with Olive, Digger and my mother. We all dined on chicken with roast potatoes and cauliflower, followed up with ice cream and brambles. In the evening we luxuriated in front of our wood-burning stove. I read my book and dozed in front of an old episode of Lewis. Soon it was time for a final walk with the dogs before bed. What a lovely day!
Saturday 30th. November, 2013 -- St. Andrews Day
Saturday, November 30, 2013, 11:49 PM
A picture of the skyline, taken by Rachel, as daylight disappears
I awoke, walked Mix along Bramble Avenue and returned in time for breakfast. I set out this morning to discover the whereabouts of our big round table, our gate-leg table, our microwave and Rachel’s desk. I was almost totally unsuccessful. I have ascertained, I think, that none of them are in the Hen House and that therefore they are all probably in the corner barn. I have located the big round table but it will take several hours of burrowing to reach it and release it and I am supposing that the other items of furniture must be in roughly the same area. So that will be the task for the start of next week. We shall burrow deep into the corner barn and find the tables.
Rachel and I went into Duns to buy some food and ironmongery for the house. Got some light bulbs as well and came home and fitted them. Had some lunch and walked Mix again in the, by this time, gloaming. Everything is changing. The trees have all but lost their leaves, the hedges are (mostly) bare and much more of the landscape is suddenly visible as it is possible to see so many things which until now have been hidden by foliage. It is also definitely colder – not a nip in the air but just chilly. Everything remains extremely beautiful and the skies are usually spectacular. It is a time of year for trips out and then for enjoying the warmth of the fire-side.
Unfortunately we all prefer the same sofa (from the left) Dane, Rowan, Mix
You’ll see from the picture how friendly the two dogs are now – just like brother and sister and even into sharing Mix’s bed under my desk: how unthinkable was that just a month or so ago? We had intended to return to Duns tonight for the turning on of the Christmas lights; however, this has been delayed until a week tomorrow. So we shall plan to go along then.
We all dined together – our St. Andrew’s Day meal: leek soup followed by Haggis, neaps and tatties, and then by trifle. It was lovely. Digger was celebrating Raith Rovers victory over Dundee, but everyone was saddened by the helicopter crash in Glasgow. Following the meal we returned to the Granary. Rachel went to bed – her painkilling pills are tiring her – while Mix and I watched Foyle’s War. It is just as good second time around and, truth to tell, now that I am retired I have much more time and attention for television. It is like a new world.
I watched the news, naturally dominated by the crash in Glasgow, and then I walked both dogs before bed. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and to the services we will attend – that is the real joy of retiring: looking forward to attending worship which will be led by other people, being part of a congregation, concentrating on worshipping rather than on leading other people in worship. And tomorrow is the first Sunday in Advent, the start of a new Church Year. For us I can feel that if it continues as the old one has ended it is going to be a very good one in our new home with so many opportunities stretching out ahead.
Can't help remarking on how Italian our lives have become. We go about all day long engaged in our activities and ploys and then we all gather together for a lengthy evening meal during which we put the world to rights and catch up on all that everyone else has been doing before going off and doing our own thing with the remaining part of the evening. I could just have arrived in heaven!
Friday 29th. November, 2013 – A Wonderful Day!
Saturday, November 30, 2013, 12:32 AM
Crowds begin to arrive at the Kelso Race Track
Where to start! I had set my alarm for seven – an hour earlier than retirement-rising time. Got up and washed before walking Mix and then got into appropriate clothes for standing around on a cold race track for the twice-a-year auction of farm equipment. Tom and Dorothy collected me at 8.30 and we were at Kelso soon after nine. All the items for the sale were just beginning to arrive. There was everything from tractors and four by fours, to feeding troughs and sheep pens, farm gates, lawn-mowers, chain saws, generators, wood, doors, strimmers, motor cars, sacks of logs, office furniture, cable, ploughs, harvesting equipment, wood-burning stoves and much more. Having arrived, we learned that the actual auction didn’t start until 11 a.m. so we went off to Kelso and enjoyed a coffee and a scone.
Sunshine on the Cross Keys Hotel in Kelso
I took this picture of the square in Kelso with the early morning sunshine on the Cross Keys Hotel and I include it here because later in the day Olive, Digger and Mum came to Kelso and enjoyed morning coffee in the hotel. By that time we had returned to the race course and the auction had begun. I was fascinated. The auctioneer was smartly dressed with a white coat over his collar and tie and with a deerstalker on his head. He carried something which was like the top of a walking stick in lieu, I suppose, of a hammer. He was accompanied by a number of staff – one with a list of all of the items for sale and details about these items, another whose task it was to get the details of people who bought the different items. Once it started, everything happened very quickly. The auctioneer, who was in good spirits and remained cheerful throughout, explained to us that unless he said differently at the start of an item, everything was subject to VAT and also to a 5% Buyer’s Premium. And with that we were off. We started with a ton of logs which Tom bought for a little over thirty pounds. Normally with each item the auctioneer started high and then the request for a bidder came lower and lower and lower but once someone had bid then it went straight back up again in two pound and five pound jumps – the auctioneer never stopped talking and he generated an enthusiasm which encouraged people to join in. On occasions bids were made by people with telephones strapped to their ears and always when something was sold the auctioneer rapped it with his stick and immediately moved on to the next item. Sometimes, having talked the bid up, the bidding came to a stop and the auctioneer just moved on to the next item without using his stick. These were the instances where the item had not reached its reserve price and no sale was made. Some of the items made thousands of pounds, others sold quickly for just a few pounds. Tom had hoped to buy the stove and had set himself a maximum bid of £200 but it went for £260 so he lost out on this one. The logs were loaded onto Tom’s trailer and we set off for home.
I couldn’t get a picture of the auctioneer for fear that he would think that I was offering a bid, but there were large numbers of people taking part
Back home I dealt with my post and then Rachel and I took the dogs off to Tweedmouth. This was a dual purpose outing. I needed to visit Currys to buy a small webcam for my computer because I am to share in a conference discussion relating to green pilgrimage on Monday morning and I have not as yet unpacked my old webcam (I have absolutely no idea where it might be). The second purpose was to walk the dogs at Spittal on the extensive beaches there.
Rachel walks the beach deep in thought
There were few other walkers – the light was already beginning to fade but we had a happy walk and Rowan must have run for miles happily splashing in and out of the sea. Back in the car, we drove to Mount Pleasant where soon it was time to get ready for this evening’s outing. For Rachel’s birthday Olive and Digger had bought a meal for two at the Siamese Kitchen. Tonight Rachel and I were having that meal. Neither of us had ever eaten Thai food before. We were in for a treat. Digger drove us to the restaurant just off the main square in Duns and he introduced us to the restaurant and to the extremely welcoming proprietrix. We started our meal with a mixed starter – a Thai fishcake, sati chicken, spring roll and prawn toast. We then went for a curry. I had a red curry (I had chosen well, it was delicious), Rachel had a green curry (she was equally happy). I continued with a sweet rice and mango desert while Rachel settled for jasmine tea. And all was washed down with white wine. It was a lovely evening and once we were replete, Digger arrived to drive us home. I could get used to this!
A Belated Birthday Cake
The restaurant even brought Rachel a birthday cake – and to her chagrin everyone in the restaurant sang Happy Birthday! Back home at Mount Pleasant we thanked Olive and Digger for such a splendid evening and shared a drink together. On our return to the Granary we discovered that a small bird had got into the house and – because it was so small – it took us more than an hour to find it and help it back into the wilds. I don’t know whether it or we were more relived once it had found its way into the outside world. It was very small and there it was making its way in the world all on its own. We are very fortunate to grow up and live in families with friends – though sometimes I guess we all feel like small birds trapped in big houses with no idea of how to get out.
Thursday 28th. November, 2013 – The Journey Continues
Friday, November 29, 2013, 12:54 AM
In Duns preparations are gathering momentum for Christmas – soon the lights will be switched on
Rose and walked Mix before breakfast and then went out to the barns to search for today’s booty. The box I chose turned out to contain my set of Punch and Judy puppets – something I hadn’t seen since we left Buckhaven almost twenty years ago. I also unearthed a bookcase which we managed to carry up the stairs and install in our bedroom. I also unearthed a large, heavy box which said ‘crystal’ on the exterior. I brought it in carefully for Rachel to unpack. It contained our collection of decanters – and with each of them a memory: one a gift from Rachel’s father to her mother before they were married; one a gift from HMS Glamorgan to Rachel and me after a successful visit to Genoa; one a ship’s decanter given to me for Ianthe, and so on. They are now sitting proudly on a tray on the grand piano – the only problem is that we haven’t as yet unearthed any glasses. At this rate I will be thoroughly moved in by 2015 – but I will enjoy everything I find.
If all of this sounds like a pretty light day, it was – partly because I went with my mother to Gavinton Church at lunch time for the congregational lunch of soup and bread and butter (and cake). I enjoyed the opportunity of getting know some of the folk from the congregation. I left Mum there for the Guild which followed the lunch and I came back to walk Mix before darkness fell and then to continue with the sorting out.
Not for long, however, because this evening we were all invited to Scott and Sue’s for our evening meal. My brother lives at Polworth, ten minutes drive from here. It was a grand meal and a happy evening. We got home just in time for my mother to catch Question Time from Falkirk. I walked the dog and went to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a first for me as Tom is taking me to my first agricultural auction at Kelso and in the evening Rachel and I are going to the Siamese Kitchen for a meal.
Thursdays are still the one day during which I feel a little bit restless. The reason without any doubt is that for many years I have spent Thursdays preparing for my services on Sundays. I looked forward to Thursdays for that very reason. I don’t mean that I started from scratch on Thursday morning and got everything done by the end of the day. I read the texts on Sunday night and then let them percolate though my mind as I walked the dog and drove the car. But Thursday was the day I put it all together. That is something I do miss – not enough to make me volunteer for pulpit supply, I am enjoying sitting in the pew too much for that. But I do miss my working Thursdays. I got an email today inviting me to a fiftieth anniversary celebration of leaving school. It’s not until next year – but that really is quite a thought: fifty years since I left school. That’s not just quite a thought – it is quite an achievement as well.
Wednesday 27th. November, 2013 – A New Chapter Begins
Thursday, November 28, 2013, 12:20 AM
Rachel starts work on cleaning up the brass log box I unearthed in the Hen House
Rose and walked Mix before breakfast of bacon, egg and fried potato – my first breakfast of the working week as for the last two days I have been off early to the Borders Hospital. Today was different. As I wrote a couple of days ago, I have now achieved my target for November and my responsibilities for getting the Granary ready have been achieved. So today I could embark on pastures new. I emailed the summer house company to see how my order is getting on – got a reply to say it would be a few days yet before I could expect news of a delivery. I went out into the barns to see what I could find. Under piles of boxes I identified the little fridge which we had brought with us from Luss. I also saw the old brass log box which has travelled with us for years (I think it came from Rachel’s home originally) and I saw several leather boxes which Rachel is keen to bring into the Granary and to use for storage in the bedroom. So my task for today was to liberate these items. Easier said than done for all were deep down under piles of boxes and for much of the morning I felt like a miner delving for treasure. But by lunchtime I had brought them out of the Hen House and got them into the Granary. Rachel set about cleaning the log box which will take up its position beside the stove once it (the log box) is gleaming as only polished brass can do. I got the fridge upstairs to the study – there is no room for it in the kitchen – and it will be used primarily for drinks and snacks. I had to scrub out the fridge and get it all set up but it was a satisfying task and it is now loaded up with Ginger Beer (and one bottle of Champaign).
Spent most of the afternoon chatting with Mum and then set the stove so that the lounge would be warm for the evening. We all dined together in the farmhouse – Olive is home so there were five of us around the table. We ate sausages and potatoes and followed them up with rice and jam (and Digger and I added ice-cream as well). Back in the Granary Rachel and I watched an episode of Endeavour. It was one that I hadn’t seen before and it was excellent.
I walked both dogs before bed (Rachel is still very stiff after her fall). Not much moon but the stars were shining really brightly and there was no one to be seen for miles around. It was absolutely beautiful. I have enjoyed today – particularly having reached the stage of starting to liberate things from the barns. The plan is to build the summer house as soon as it is delivered and to use it to store books. This will free space in the Hen House to enable us to convert this into another useable building – the work has already been started by the previous owners who actually got planning permission for all of our barns to be converted into holiday accommodation. I have no desire to have holiday accommodation but it would seem sensible to restore the barns and enable them to be used. I have no doubt that as the days go by we will come up with some ideas of what to do with the buildings but for now they are all being used to store boxes – and all of them have to emptied!
Tuesday 26th. November, 2013 -- Continuing my week as a Chauffer
Wednesday, November 27, 2013, 12:26 AM
The local Co-op in Duns where we buy our food
Up early in time to give each of the dogs a walk and Rachel a cup of tea in bed before setting off with Mum for the Borders General Hospital in Melrose so that she could attend the eye clinic there. To think that at the weekend I had never been to the Borders Hospital and now I have been there twice! Read my book in the waiting room while (appropriately) waiting for my mother. The wait was not a long one but it was nearer to mid day when we returned to Mount Pleasant.
Spent a while on the telephone with Mike who has been having a problem with the print machine at Luss. It really seems (as I have noted before) that so many of the machines at Luss have been waiting for my departure to give up the ghost – or it could be that I had learned over the years how to nurse them along and keep them going. Of course, it could also be that even the machines are just crying out for their retirement -- they have been well-used over many more years than their normal working lives. I also got an email with a list of the hymns for next Sunday at Arrochar and I transcribed them, prepared the music files and sent them off to Jamie.
At 2 p.m. I drove Mum into Duns for her regular hair appointment (moved to the afternoon this week because of the trip to hospital in the morning). Having dropped her off, I went to the Co-op to buy some fruit and cheese and to replenish my supplies of Ginger Beer. It is a small Co-op but the staff are helpful and friendly. Olive and Digger do the main shopping for our meals and they go to Berwick for this but the Co-op here is more than adequate for my needs. Came home and walked Mix (there is so little daylight at this time of year) and then drove back to Duns to collect Mum at 3.45 p.m. by which time today it was almost dark.
The main square in Duns looks very welcoming
Back home again, I went into one of the barns and brought out another box by torch-light. Discovered that it contained the games for an old Atari games machine which I must have bought more than thirty years ago – Space Invaders, Asteroids and many more. Set the machine up and ensured that all of the games were working – you’ll remember, perhaps, that I had found the console last Saturday and just a couple of the games; now I have around twenty with my particular favourites ‘Super Breakout’ which involves bouncing a ball back against a wall and dislodging bricks – the deeper you penetrate the wall, the faster the ball rebounds, and ‘Circus Atari’ which involves a see-saw which bounces a man into the sky to burst balloons – of course, you have to have the see-saw positioned below his fall to prevent him ‘splatting’ onto the ground. It was a journey back in time to an age when this was cutting-edge technology – and it was fun.
Rachel at her workstation
Rachel has taken today easy; most of the day she has been reading her book although I did snap her at her workstation. Those with keen eyesight will see that what she actually has on her computer screen is a game of patience. We dined with Mum and Digger and then came back to the Granary where we watched an episode of Montalbano – the Italian detective series set in Sicily. The programme is in Italian and it is good to hear the Italian language, even if much of it is in dialect.
Watched Newsnight, much of which was given over to the White Paper on the subject of Scottish Independence. As usual I thought that Gary Brewer wasted his opportunity of interviewing the First Minister by having too rigid a view of what he wanted to get out of the conversation. Frankly I am not much interested in what Mr. Brewer thinks, I want him to draw out what Alec Salmond believes. The interview was, it seemed to me, a missed opportunity. I found it interesting that so much of the White Paper sounded as if it were an election manifesto – a menu of offers for an independent Scotland. My first thought was that this was not what I had expected because that will be the business of those vying for power should Scotland become independent. But as I think about it, I am coming around to the view that this was quite an appropriate thing to do. The response, of course, is that many of these ‘offers’ could be delivered under devolution but that is only partly true. I was taken with the childcare plans which would enable huge numbers of women to get back into work, and who by being in work would generate the tax revenues to pay for the provision; tax revenues which in an independent Scotland would come to the Scottish Treasury. Such a move would be important for women but also tackles the real problem which Scotland has which is that we need a higher percentage of our population to be generating wealth to support an aging population. So there is much to think about and I would love to get a copy of the six-hundred-and-some-more page document and read it – something which, now that I am retired, I will have time to do! Somehow the debate has got a new edge to it for me now that we live so close to England and cross to Berwick sometimes several times a week.
Walked the dogs and went to bed.
Monday 25th. November, 2013 – Really Good News
Monday, November 25, 2013, 09:14 PM
A helicopter takes off from the Borders General Hospital after delivering a patient at the Accident and Emergency section
Rachel woke extremely sore and very stiff. I say ‘woke’ but in reality she hadn’t slept at all. I telephoned the doctor at 8 a.m. and an appointment was arranged for 8.50 a.m. Rachel was seen at once and after Rachel was given strong pain killers, we set off by car for the Borders General Hospital (who had been told that we were coming and so knew to expect us). There Rachel was x-rayed and examined. The fear had been that she had got a stress fracture (which would have meant immobilisation for six weeks) but the hospital was able to confirm that nothing was broken. They gave her more pills and instructed her to take things easy, not to bend down and not to lift anything – and not to go horse-riding again until she was totally recovered!
While waiting for Rachel, I saw what a busy place this hospital (based in Melrose) is. Ambulances and also the air ambulance (pictured above -- caught on my mobile 'phone) brought patients to the hospital while I watched. Happy that no serious harm had been done to Rachel's back, we drove back to Mount Pleasant, made some lunch and I finally managed to complete the sorting out of my clothes and removed some (which will have to wait until later) to one of the barns. Progress is being made. Rachel sat in front of the stove and read her book.
We dined with Mum and Digger in the farmhouse and afterwards returned to the Granary to enjoy the heat of the stove in our lounge (it was minus two outside earlier today). Caught University Challenge and part of a Two Ronnies repeat before walking both dogs – Rachel is still taking it easy – and getting to bed in time to watch the News in comfort.
Today has been a good one: Rachel has done nothing serious to her back and I have got both my study and my part of the bedroom into some kind of order, the deck has been laid for the summer house and the outside of the premises are fully dog-safe. My targets for November have largely been achieved. As in all the best computer games, I can now move on to level two. Exciting!
Sunday 24th. November, 2013 – Could have been better!
Sunday, November 24, 2013, 11:41 PM
This is what is waiting for me at the farmhouse every morning
Rose early and walked Mix. I love walking on the roads around Mount Pleasant on a Sunday morning early, there is nothing on the roads and everything is wonderfully quiet. Went across to the farmhouse for breakfast (decided to let you see how well I am treated: bacon, egg and fried potatoes with two slices of toast and plenty of hot coffee. No wonder I have put on five kilos since retiring here).
Set off with Mum and Rachel to Gavinton Church. It was a lovely service conducted by members of the Guild and was, appropriately, on the theme of ‘Whose we are and whom we serve’ -- the address picked out two servants: Mary, the hand-maiden of the Lord, and Paul who had penned the words of the theme, a servant of the Lord. But the challenge, of course, is for us all. Enjoyed the hymns, prayers and a little sketch which added to the theme as well. Following the service we all adjourned to the hall where the Guild served brunch, the proceeds being devoted to two of the Guild projects – the Cross Reach project and Comfort Rwanda. The Guild here provides support for all of the six projects but as the project duration is for three years it concentrates on two of them each year. Seems like a good way of doing things. The service, too, was a good way of marking Guild Week.
A snap of the inside of the Church as folk began to disperse
It was good to see Ann, the minister, back after her recent cold – and I did enjoy the brunch. Back at Mount Pleasant, Rachel got ready to go horse riding for the first time in many a long year. Dorothy arrived to take her along to the riding school and I set about sorting the clothes in the bedroom. It is a task which has been hanging over my head for several days and I had promised to do it all today. In fact I got started but that was about all because Rachel returned having been thrown by her horse – she said that it was down to over-confidence on her part as she kicked the hose to try to move it from a trot to a canter and then lost a stirrup as she rounded a bend: gravity did the rest. But falling to the ground when you are sixty-eight is very different from the regular knocks which we took as children and she is very shaken and has a very sore back. I’m hoping that is all it is; we gave her frozen chips (in the packet) to try to take down any swelling and she has been lying down ever since.
Dorothy arrives to collect Rachel
Well, that’s not quite true because she staggered across to the farmhouse for an evening meal (toad in the hole followed vegetable soup and preceded ice cream and stewed apples – fabulous). I got Rachel off to bed with an electric blanket under her back and we will review the situation in the morning. I never did get the clothes sorted and even the disastrous defeat suffered by England in Australia has paled into insignificance with thinking of what might have happened when Rachel, with her history of back problems, fell off her horse. Thankfully her legs seem fine but, at the very least, she is going to be very stiff tomorrow.
Saturday 23rd. November, 2013 -- A Day in Reverse and a Roaring Stove
Sunday, November 24, 2013, 12:37 AM
A Roaring Stove
I woke early this morning and was out walking Mix soon after eight. I got back to Mount Pleasant and wandered across to the farmhouse for breakfast to discover that the door was locked and everyone was still asleep. So Mix and I came back to the Granary and planned our day before returning for breakfast a little later on.
Up until now life has been about emptying boxes but, even although only a tiny fraction of them have been opened, we are now in the business of repacking boxes and stacking them in another barn until later on. I suppose it is inevitable two large homes into one much smaller one will only go with the greatest difficulty and there will be lots of getting organised. So today I must have packed and carried around twenty boxes and packed them into a barn, all clearly labelled and waiting for the next stage of our operations. It is actually quite exciting.
Mum and Digger went into Duns to shop and, in the late afternoon, after walking Mix, I joined the others for sherry before dinner in the farmhouse. Much later on Rachel and I returned to the Granary where our stove had created a beautifully warm living room for us to relax in. Rachel had chosen an old episode of Foyle’s War for us to watch and afterwards we got caught up in a reconstruction of the killing of President Kennedy. Then we walked the dogs and retired to bed.
A relaxed dog – Rowan takes it easy on the mat in front of the stove
I tend to make all of this dealing with boxes sound rather tedious. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. Today I found the old, old (ancient really) Atari games console which plugged into the TV so many years ago. The console on which we played Space Invaders, Asteroids and Frogger and so many more. So I lost an hour ensuring that it still functioned. It did but I’m afraid I have lost all my old skills and dexterity. Will have to spend more time with it in the coming days! I also found a box with midi files of all of the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas. Plugged them in and sang through the Contrabandista (that was another hour lost – no, not lost. Greatly enjoyed in a way that I would never have dreamed of doing when I was still working.) Retirement is great – there is always tomorrow and today is about grasping the moment and doing things as they occur. I also found my old Stellarscope and, you guessed it, spent time examining the sky and identifying the stars – really nostalgic because when I was small my Dad used to take me out to the garden and identify them for me.
Top Dog – the Dogs’ Trust would be hard-pressed to recognise Mix as the terror he used to be
Got a letter this morning from the Session Clerk of Gavinton Church to say that we were now members of their congregation. It is good to belong and it will be good to worship there again tomorrow morning (by which time, I expect, England will have surrendered the first Test – well, it would be greedy to expect that absolutely everything would go my way).
Friday 22nd. November, 2013 -- Into a Routine
Friday, November 22, 2013, 11:53 PM
My window on the Gabba at Brisbane -- this morning was not a happy one for England
Got up and breakfasted with Olive and Digger before walking Mix and then coming back to the Granary to start work on boxes. The way it works is that I find a couple of boxes and open them. I then bring the contents to my study and in the process totally disrupt the study. I then spend ages getting the study back in order and the items from the newly opened boxes become absorbed into the house. Then I go and get another few boxes from the barn and start all over again. It is a long slow process!
Tom and Dorothy arrived to collect some of Tom’s tools and then Rachel set off for Berwick. I spent quite a while searching for some of the boxes which had my clothes in them. I found four and got them emptied and sorted. Then walked Mix in the last of the daylight.
Rachel and Rowan
Back at Mount Pleasant I continued with the sorting and then went across to the farmhouse for a sherry before dinner – we ate cheese and bean pie (one of my all-time favourites) followed by ice-cream with bramble sauce and coffee. Back in the Granary I watched an episode of Midsummer Murders while Rachel started her Christmas letter on her laptop and Rowan sat on the sofa and took an interest in all that was going on. Mix, older and more sensible, went to sleep. We walked the dogs and I went to bed. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to watch the cricket, and it wasn’t that I had lost interest after England’s dramatic collapse during last night – it was just that I couldn’t keep my eyes open. So bed calls – however, I will listen to Test Match Special and hope for something better. I likened the experience of last night as going out of the room when your football team was two nil ahead and coming back a little later to discover that your team is now losing ten two. The collapse was as dramatic as that. I wrote yesterday that you can never tell what is the state of a match until both teams have batted – those were prophetic words. Australia’s failure to reach three hundred looked bad when England marched into bat. Once they had bowled England out for a hundred and thirty odd, it looked very different indeed! It is hard to see how England can recover from here.
Thursday 21st. November, 2013 – Wind and More Wind
If it is too windy or wet to go for a walk, Mix and Rowan are happy chasing each other around our courtyard
It was a really blustery night – I went to bed about 2. Australia had just lost their second wicket for something in the seventies. I slept until 6 when I checked the score again and found that they had now lost six wickets. When I woke at 8 the cricket was over for the day and Australia had lost eight wickets for 273 runs. One would have guessed that this had been a good day for England but you can never tell until both sides have batted.
The rain was streaming down and the wind was still blustering, so I breakfasted before walking Mix and then I settled down to do the music for Arrochar Church. This done, I started on the clothes in the bedroom but no sooner had I started than we discovered that a few boxes which Rachel had covered with a couple of tarpaulins had lost their tarpaulins in the storm, so we brought the boxes into the house and emptied them. No harm has been done except that we now have items to deal with which we had intended to leave until later.
The rest of the ‘working’ day was spent dealing with these boxes (and quite a lot remains for tomorrow as well). We dined in the farmhouse – Olive has now returned from Dundee so we were all together which is great. I sorted out some of the finds from the boxes in the evening. This included an mp3 player with a recording of an half hour radio programme about Luss made by the BBC in either 2004 or 2005. I listened to it and would love to share it with my folk back in the Church. I had forgotten all about it but it was incredibly prophetic with great contributions from John Sinclair, Lorrain, Robbie and John and Margaret MacEachern. At the time the recording was made the Pilgrimage Centre had been recently opened but the bridge across to the glebe was still just a dream.
I had intended to watch the news and Newsnight but instead I fell asleep, waking in time to walk Mix and settle down to watch the cricket in front of a roaring stove. England polished off Australia’s tail quickly and Australia did not reach 300 which I had considered to be the least they required. However, England had only advanced to 55 for two wickets by lunch and we will need a good afternoon session if we are to gain from all of the bowlers' good work.
Wednesday 20th. November, 2013 -- Retirement as I always imagined it
Rachel has just added the final screw and the decking is complete
It rained all night and I wondered, as I lay in my warm bed and listened to the rain, whether we would be able to complete the decking as planned. But when I got up at eight, the sun was shining and there was a blustery wind. I walked Mix and breakfasted with Mum and Digger and while I was eating my toast (having enjoyed egg and bacon) Tom arrived to continue my apprenticeship as a deck builder. By lunchtime we had all of the decking cut and had installed the fencepost anchors at the four corners and we had ensured that everything was absolutely level. After lunch we screwed down the final lengths of decking and then were glad to get inside as the rain began to fall – in any event we were beginning to get extremely cold. But what a sense of achievement!
While Rachel went off for a hot bath, I walked Mix along the Kelso Road, back along Bramble Avenue, and back to the house by the Swinton Road. I cleaned my drill (and recharged the battery) and then packed everything away. Spent the next hour on the telephone as a number of friends caught up with me and then It was time for an early tea (mince and potatoes) before Mum was collected by a friend and set off for the Duns Guild. I came home and promptly fell asleep – partly because I have been out in the fresh air all day and partly because I was keen to have some sleep so that I could stay awake later in the evening to watch the start of the Ashes Test Series from Brisbane. I enjoyed the build up and watched the first hour in front of the stove by which time we had captured one wicket but Warner was scoring quite freely.
But this is how I imagined retirement to be – a day in the fresh air doing something I wouldn’t normally get to do and then being able to sit up and enjoy the cricket from Australia without worrying about whether I am fresh to do my job tomorrow. I’m looking forward to the whole of the Test Series and I’m looking forward to the next stage of my apprenticeship when the kit arrives and Tom, Rachel and I start work on constructing our summer house.
We have so many plans. Next to the Granary is our hen house. Eventually it will house a library and some more accommodation for those who come to visit. And then we will start on the barns .... Meanwhile Digger is developing the small holding and will soon start work on building the first of several domes which will be used to grow crops which require the assistance which such a dome will give. Life is incredibly exciting.
Should say that I am getting less aware of all that is going on in the world – watching the news and Newsnight is becoming less important – but I have been fascinated by the story of the Rev. Paul Flower, a Methodist minister, who became Chairman of the Co-operative Bank, and has got into trouble partly (according to what we are told on TV) through personal failings and partly through the failings of the bank. What has amazed me (and this will seem extremely trivial to many who read this) is that everyone is calling Mr. Flower ‘Reverend Flower’. I mean everyone: BBC presenters and reporters, people interviewed, the Prime Minister and so on. It is absolutely incorrect. ‘Reverend Paul Flower’ is OK but otherwise it really should be ‘Mr. Flower’. I know that the response will be – how inconsequential compared with what he is accused of having done – well, perhaps, but I have a thing about it and retired people have to have hobbyhorses.
All in all, today was a mixed day for the Church. The Scottish Parliament took the decision to allow same gender marriage (I believe that same gender relationships should have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as mixed gender ones; but I cannot believe that this is marriage nor that parliament has the ability to redefine something which is so integral to human life around the world). However, today the journey towards women bishops in the Church of England took a big step forward at the meeting of the General Synod. It seems that this matter may finally be resolved in the next couple of years – I know it is still a long time, but at least things are moving forward. Talking about a couple of years, as I move from someone who has been working at the coal-face for such a long time to an observer with a growing element of detachment, I do seriously wonder if there is much of a future for the Church of Scotland. I am sure that there is a real future for Christianity in Scotland and I am sure that God has great plans for our country but now that I have time to look around I am surprised at how many ministers are on the point of retiring and at how tiny are so many congregations. There are, however, some really good things happening and these need to be celebrated by all of us. I’m looking forward to getting my summer house which will also be my office and where I hope to write. Another bonus of retirement for me is that things start to buzz around my head: fresh ideas and an enthusiasm to start work on the book I hope to write and, who knows, maybe that will make a contribution to the debate about where we are going?
Tuesday 19th. November, 2013 – My Apprenticeship begins
Rachel and Tom have done a grand job of creating the frame for the decking on which our new summer house will sit.
Up early, walked Mix along Bramble Avenue, breakfasted with Mum and Digger and then Tom arrived, brought here by Dorothy – and my apprenticeship began. I started the day the proud owner of a drill (bought yesterday from Pearsons), I ended up with a drill, a metre rule and a level (one of those things with a bubble in it). Our task was to build the decking platform on which the new summer house will sit. We set off for Pearson to buy more screws and knee-pads (I forgot to mention I now owned a set of knee-pads) and some back plastic to place under the decking platform. Tom set up his bench saw and along with Rachel we created the framework on which the decking would be built. It was perfectly right-angled and also totally level. We were ready to begin – but first Tom went off home with Dorothy for lunch while I completed the task of sorting out the study. It is now really quite organised.
Tom soon returned and we set to work cutting the decking to size and fitting and screwing it to the frame. After an hour or so I had almost got the hang of screwing the decking down, holding the lengths of decking as Tom fed them through the saw, and ensuring that there was an appropriate gap between the different lengths of decking. By the time the light failed we had completed half of the decking and – providing the weather holds tomorrow -- the task will be completed. Of course, if the weather doesn’t hold, then there will be other days – that’s the beauty of retirement. Now that I can see that the job will be done, and buoyed up by the realisation that we will probably be able to complete the whole project ourselves (well, Tom and Rachel are really quite skilled) I went ahead and ordered the kit for the summer house – even although I remain quite miffed that the fact that we are five miles over the English border means that I have to pay a transport surcharge. No wonder that some people are so violently nationalist. However, not to buy the summer house I want because of this would seem like cutting off my nose to spite my face; so I have paid up and put it behind me.
Dorothy, Tom and Rachel on the decking so far created
As the last of the light was fading, Rachel and I walked Rowan and Mix. Back at the Granary we fed the dogs and I cleaned the study to complete its make-over. Then we joined Mum and Digger for a delicious fish-pie followed by stewed (home-grown) apples, custard and ice cream. Later we made our way back to the Granary where we watched an episode of Midsomer Murders which we had missed when it was first shown, walked the dogs (the wind had got up and it was really cold) and were very glad to get to bed. I am already extremely stiff and I hate to think what my body is going to have to say to me tomorrow morning.
Monday 18th. November, 2013 – Family Visitors
Tuesday, November 19, 2013, 12:05 AM
Mum with her sisters, Agnes and Jean
Slept incredibly well. I’ve always slept well, the moment my head hits the pillow I am asleep; but since we moved down here I have slept even better. I suppose that it is because I am no longer on call and no longer have the responsibilities I had before. Some say that it is the change of air and perhaps it is but our bedroom is also incredibly warm – even with the heating turned off and the windows wide open: our house is marvellously insulated. Whatever the reason I am sleeping so well.
Woke, walked Mix and breakfasted in the farmhouse before driving Mum into Duns to get provisions for a picnic around the farmhouse table when Mum’s visitors arrived. We bought from the Co-op and then from the Bakers and hurried home to welcome Mum’s sisters Agnes and Jean who had been driven down by Jean’s son-in-law, Peter. After coffee (with snowballs and wagon wheels) they went on a tour of the entire premises – a tour of the house with Mum, of the Granary with Rachel, of the allotment and gardens with Digger and around the barns with me. It was time for a soup and sandwich lunch and prolonged chat before Mum’s guests had to leave (Peter had an appointment in Edinburgh at 4 p.m.). Mum had enjoyed having her sisters to inspect her new home and we had all enjoyed their visit – good to get a blether with Peter as well. (Agnes, as well as being my aunt, is also my God-mother -- a role she has always exercised extremely diligently and lovingly -- and so is doubly important to me.)
I set off for Pearsons in Duns to get the bits and pieces required for the start of our project to create a summer house tomorrow. As usual, Mix travelled in the back of the car behind the deluxe and extra-strong grill supplied by Halfords. When I came out of Pearsons, Mix was sitting happily in the driving seat as much as to say, ‘Well, I don’t think much of those prison bars.’ Back home Rachel set about a temporary repair – I think that we are going to have to have the whole of the back of the car welded.
We walked the dogs and then came back to boxes before dining with Digger and Mum in the farmhouse. Back to the Granary in time to watch University Challenge (it was a dead-heat -- what a shame that one side had to lose) after which I did some more tidying before the News and Newsnight. We walked the dogs again. The moonlight is so bright that we didn’t need a torch except to have in case a car appeared on the road. This really is a fabulous place to live and we are so very, very fortunate.
Sunday 17th. November, 2013 – Sundays are Good!
Monday, November 18, 2013, 12:11 AM
Bamburgh Castle from the beach
Woke again after the most amazing dreams. I was in London when I got a call to say that I was needed to come and conduct a service at Luss because there was no one else. (Well, that’s easy – I spoke on the phone to Bill last night and he was telling me that he was conducting two weddings at Luss.) It was too late to catch a train from London so I went into a garage to hire a car. Simon (from SAS in Helensburgh) was working at the garage in London. He didn’t have a car but he offered me a bicycle – only it was one you stood on, like the machines you see in some of the tourist spots around Europe. I had to find a map and then to be sure, I went into a small hardware shop where a delightful old lady sold me a compass. I set off for Luss (which for some extraordinary reason was now in Fife). I arrived just in time for the service to discover that the church had been united, not with another church, but with a lifeboat station. The congregation was upstairs in a kind of horseshoe gallery which I addressed from the pulpit (there were only six people present, two ladies and four children). No sooner had I announced the first hymn than people rushed in and launched the lifeboat and everything was drowned out in the sound of the boat descending from the church into the sea. Alarms were going off everywhere and I awoke.
Got up, walked Mix and breakfasted in the farmhouse before driving Mum and Rachel to Gavinton Church where we joined Tom and Dorothy for the morning service. It was conducted this morning by Bill Paterson, a retired minister, as Ann is still suffering from her cold. I enjoyed Bill’s service which was based on the Call of Moses: called to something he didn’t want to do (he saw it was necessary but could someone else not, please, be chosen for the task?); speaking to our generation is as important and we are often chosen for a special task. So watch out for burning bushes!
After the service we had coffee in the hall and met more of the congregation and once we had returned home we quickly set off for Bamburgh where Rachel and I walked the dogs on the beach. Rowan is so taken with the sea and loves nothing better than to frolic among the waves. Back home I lit the stove and went back to working in the study on the next stage of the sorting out process.
Rowan is fascinated by the sea
In the early evening we all (Olive, Digger, Rachel, Mum and I) piled into my car and went to Duns where we ate at the China Palace. It was absolutely excellent and we received a great welcome. Good food, huge portions and well looked-after. We came back replete and I started again on the study. Remembered it was the weekend (!) so stopped and watched some TV before going to bed.
Saturday 16th. November, 2013 – I learn that progress means upheaval
Nick, Amy and David
Up and breakfasted before walking the dog – this is getting to be a habit! I was so sleepy this morning and woke in the middle of a very vivid dream: I was back in the Sailor’s Rest in Genoa (my first job). I’d been sent to look after it until someone could come and run the place full-time. A whole crowd of Dutch sailors arrived looking for a film (the big 16mm films in their tin containers). They had handed one in last time they were in the port and now they needed a new one to watch on their voyage. I was in the middle of contacting British ships in the port to see if anyone had a film to give them when I woke with a start because I remembered that a friend of Mum’s was coming to collect her just after nine o’clock.
Had breakfast and saw Mum off before walking Mix. Rachel set off for Berwick to buy some hardware for the house and I started opening more boxes with clothes in them. There are far too many clothes to fit into the limited space we have so I had to start sorting them all out, which meant trying things on and making difficult decisions. And, of course, turning my room into an absolute tip once again – and only yesterday I had finally got it looking good. Ah, well!
Drove across to Scott’s home to have afternoon tea with my brother and sister-in-law, and with my niece, Katie and my nephew Nick and his wife Amy and her Dad, David, who had flown in from Australia to attend the 100th. birthday celebrations for his aunt. It was really good to see them all and to hear how well they are getting on and how much they are all enjoying life. It was especially good to renew contact with David whom I had so very much enjoyed meeting at Nick and Amy's wedding just a year ago -- the trip which brought me to the Borders and which started this amazing adventure which has resulted in us living in the Granary at Mount Pleasant. Mum had also been dropped off at Scott's home by her friend and after afternoon tea and lots of chat I drove Mum back to Mount Pleasant.
The picture at the head of today’s entry is of my nephew and his wife and her father. I had intended to include a picture of my delightful niece, Katie, but when I checked the photo I discovered that she had put her tongue out as I took the picture, presumably to prevent me being able to use it for my blog. So I have included it below in any event.
Back home, I cooked the supper which Rachel, Mum and I ate around the table in the Granary kitchen. Olive had been speaking at a conference in Aberdeen today and she and Digger had met up in Edinburgh for a meal with Jeffrey, my other nephew, and Devon. After the meal we watched the final Poirot which we had all missed on Wednesday evening. In the best traditions of the ‘who done it’ there was a real twist in the tale and I enjoyed it. There was just time to walk Mix before retiring for the night.
On the sporting front, I watched the rugby -- England against New Zealand -- as I worked on my clothes. England did well, I thought, but new Zealand won. And Sachin Tendulkar brought his Test career to an end with a resounding victory for India against the West Indies. He scored 74. I was sorry that he didn't get a century but he did well and his retirement marks the end of an era of Indian cricket (not least because he has been ever present for such a long time).
Friday 15th. November, 2013 – And another great day.
Our decking is delivered
Rose, breakfasted and walked Mix (yes, the order indicates that I slept in, but Oh, am I sleeping well). Then it was hard work all day to sort out clothes, emptying boxes and delighting in being reunited with old friends. Unfortunately we have a lot less room than with our two previous houses, so down-sizing can be quite painful – but all of this is spurring us on to see about developing one of our barns.
This afternoon the decking arrived for the base of our new summer house. It may seem strange to be contemplating a summer house as we approach winter but I’m using to use it as the place in which to write my book and I want to get started on that before I lose the urge (and before my publisher loses interest).
In the late afternoon I walked Mix and had a shower before setting off with Mum and Rachel for the theatre in Berwick. The sky was spectacular and I caught this picture from the bathroom window.
November sky
In Berwick we dined in the theatre restaurant – pea soup followed by fishcakes, chips and salad, followed by meringue with fruits of the forest and ice cream. Loved it. We joined the Friends of the Maltings – well, we have been here four times in the last two weeks – and went into the performance of Royal Flush. It was a one man show in two parts. The first told the story of Thomas Crapper, in his own words and told of his work in the toilet industry and his royal patronage; the second was set in more modern times, in a care centre, and, you’ve guessed it, centred around the toilet.
The little studio Theatre
Two very different performances by one talented young actor and the only thing which marred it was that we could hear the sounds from the main auditorium where a tribute band was paying homage to Bruce Springsteen – I was surprised both that the sound proofing was so inadequate and that, given that it was, such a clash of programming had been permitted. But I loved the performance of Matthew Booth who is evidently a performer in Emmerdale where he plays Paul Marsden. Sorry that there weren’t more people present. I counted just seventeen in a studio set up with seats for around fifty-five (and that included the ushers).
Drove home to Mount Pleasant and got home about eleven. The dogs were really pleased to see us. Mix had continued with the tidying up theme while we were out by emptying a rubbish sack and setting everything therein in a neat orderly row for my inspection just to make sure that nothing was being thrown out which really should have been kept. It was another good day.
Thursday 14th. November, 2014 – First Phase completed!
Thursday, November 14, 2013, 10:46 PM
Bramble Avenue in the autumn sunshine
While the rest of the country seems to be suffering from rain, storms and high winds, here it is beautiful. I got up and walked Mix along Bramble Avenue – the sun is so low in the sky that it is very picturesque: sunshine, shadows and beautiful autumn colours.
Back home, I breakfasted and then worked all day in the study and by dinner time I had completed all of the boxes with ‘things’ in them for the study – as distinct to clothes, for this is my ‘dressing room’ as well. Tomorrow I will start on unpacking clothes but I feel that I have achieved a great deal. (I also spent a while in the farmhouse retuning Mum’s TV which lost the ability to receive ITV last night. All is now returned to normal.)
Realised that I have stopped carrying my mobile phone around with me – and I don’t seem to have the same need to check for emails every day. Well I do have a telephone landline and the post is delivered every day. I really must be unwinding!
Dinner was good. Olive is back from teaching so we were all around the farmhouse table this evening: Olive, Digger, Mum, Rachel and me. Afterwards Rachel and I watched an old ‘New Tricks’ before I walked Mix (his third walk of the day) and came up to bed. I’m raring to get at those clothes boxes tomorrow – and in the evening we are going back to Berwick to attend the theatre: the studio theatre this time, rather than the auditorium, but we are going to have a pre-performance meal at the theatre to try that out as well.
Wednesday 13th. November, 2013 -- A Day of Two Halves: from the commonplace to the absolutely sublime!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013, 11:32 PM
The dogs are always the first out of the Granary
Slept in, and so I breakfasted before walking Mix; not that he seemed to mind because he enjoys breakfast in the farmhouse. Came back to the Granary and found an email with the hymns for Sunday which I duly prepared and sent off to Neil and Jamie and then I started work on the boxes in the study. I worked at them all afternoon and actually made progress. I say I worked at them all afternoon: there were interruptions. I stopped to renew my car insurance and discovered to my delight that my premium is one third lower now that I have retired and live in the Borders (and no longer have that dreaded Glasgow post code). I also took Mix off for a substantial walk – rejoicing in the fact that we have good weather, unlike so much of the rest of Scotland. It seems to happen often – in fact maybe this little bit of Scotland is like America’s Florida: the place to come when you retire to get the best of the weather.
Stopped boxes about four thirty, had a shower and changed and an hour later Rachel and I set off for Berwick. We had a fish supper in the car and went into the Maltings to attend the first ever streamed live performance of a Royal Shakespeare Company production from Stratford. We were sharing with people all over the country and all over the world and it was stupendous. I had no idea what to expect but it was wonderful, just like being there – better really, because we got the advantage of all of the best angles and real close-ups. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, what a blessing it is to be retired! (And to have the wherewithal to go off gallivanting – my Old Age Pension arrived in my bank account today. I still wonder that every four weeks I get such a sizeable payment into my bank account just because I am old – and I get my proper pension from my employment at the end of each month as well. It is, of course, too early to tell, but first impressions are that I am much better off in retirement because when I was working we had two homes to run -- one in Wemyss and one at Luss – and because so much of my income got spent on the Manse and on my work. That’s not a complaint, just an observation as why now is so good!)
But back to tonight. The setting, the staging the casting, the acting, the play, the performance: all were superb. Our theatre was comfortable, full and happy. David Tennant made an excellent Richard II, Oliver Ford Davies was superb as the Duke of York and Michael Pennington was magnificent as John of Gaunt but, in truth, everyone was great and the play was quite modern as it discussed regime change, or the role of supreme power in a country under the guise of examining the purpose of medieval monarchy. The introduction and supplementary features provided by the Royal Shakespeare Company were as good as one would have expected from them. It was a tremendous evening and we are told that the new director intends to work right through the entire canon of Shakespeare’s work over the next six years and that every production with have one evening on which it is streamed. I can see that even in retirement a diary is going to be a sine qua non. A really happy day – tomorrow it will be back to boxes!
Tuesday 12th. November, 2012 -- Autumn Sunshine
Tuesday, November 12, 2013, 11:52 PM
Our home – bathed in Autumn sunshine
Rose, walked the dog, breakfasted and went back to the Granary. It was a glorious morning with everything bathed in autumn sunshine. My morning walk was an absolute joy – and people have started to wave to me as they pass in the car. I am beginning to feel that we belong.
Digger, Rachel, Cathy and Mum taken just before Rachel set off to drive Cathy back to civilization
This morning Cathy was setting off for home, driven there by Rachel. I ran Mum to Duns to get her hair done and then worked in the study. I have now unearthed the bunk bed! Collected Mum and brought her home and then Tom and I fitted up the bell outside the Granary and repaired the little gate. We then went off to Pearsons to buy (or rather, to order) decking for the summer house to sit on and while we were there we had a coffee and a cake (that’s what retired people do – you see I am learning quickly about this new way of life). Back home I continued with the clearing up – don’t get the impression that a great deal has been done, it is a long, slow business but I am enjoying it.
Digger has had his car at the garage today, getting new heaters for the diesel engine; Rachel has been driving all afternoon – she stopped for lunch with Cathy in Balloch and Mum has been in her upstairs sitting room. Once Rachel returned, we all dined – mince, carrots and potatoes (definitely a favourite), followed by apple pie and ice cream. I returned to boxes in the evening (and there will be plenty more waiting for me tomorrow as well). Stopped to watch Newsnight before walking Mix and retiring to bed.
Monday 11th. November, 2013 – A day doing this and that
I took this picture of a stone on the exterior of Fogo Church yesterday. I have no idea what it signifies -- it is a very old church. But I hope to find out!
According to my new routine, I rose, walked the dog and breakfasted in the farmhouse (on egg and bacon prepared today by Cathy). I started work on the study (that’s where the first boxes are for my attention) but soon Tom arrived to help with some of the other priorities. We went off to Pearsons to buy various different rawlplugs and screws and also to enquire about decking (on which we can then position a summer house – I know that it is the winter but I’m retired and can do what I like)! Pearsons didn’t have decking but promised more information for the afternoon. We returned to the Granary and did some calculations about the amount of decking we would require. We also hung another television screen before Tom returned home for lunch. I set about the study with gusto and also helped Rachel start the Bongo with leads from my car – she had allowed the battery to run down. When Tom returned we hung the bell by the big outside gate so that people could let us know that they wanted to come in. Then we set off to meet a friend of Tom who is a maker and repairer of stringed instruments (Martin). Rachel has a problem with her ‘cello (the sound post has fallen) and Martin will be able to fix it for her.
In the Bongo, now fully functioning again, we all (Cathy, Rachel, Tom and I) continued on to Pearsons who unfortunately did not have the information I required. Instead we went for afternoon tea/coffee and cake before returning home. Tom went off to collect his grandchildren from school and I returned to boxes. The computer was on and so was Skype and during the late afternoon I chatted first with Sameh from Egypt and then with Brian from Germany before finally speaking on the telephone to Bill and Morag. It was good to hear of the progress which Bill is making – he now attends the local gymnasium every Monday and Wednesday. I hope that they will both be down to see us soon.
Later we dined with Digger in the farmhouse and then in the evening watched University Challenge and an hour-long Poirot with Mum and Cathy while we enjoyed another cup of tea, accompanied by snowballs. After watching Newsnight and the horrific events in the Philippines, we walked the dogs (there wasn’t a car in sight the whole time we were out) and went to bed.
Sunday 10th. November, 2013 – Remembrance Sunday
Rachel, Cathy and Mum make their way to Gavinton Church
Rose, walked Mix, showered and changed, breakfasted and set off for the service at Gavinton Church. The minister, Ann, was indisposed and so the service was conducted by Ken Walker who was to have been sharing in a joint service elsewhere with his wife. He had been called in at the last moment to cover for Ann. I enjoyed his service which presented the contrasts which different places experience – the plain of Jezreel for example which saw great battles and also prosperity and harmony. The world is like that. We stand on history – I reflected that over this last week we have crossed back and forwards into England to visit Holy Island, to go to the theatre at Berwick, and yet, in times past this was a little bit of Britain which was fiercely fought over (as the recent Flodden commemorations record). When will we ever learn? Ken reminded us of the importance of our remembering those who had lost their lives and those whose lives were different as a result of war.
The service was followed by a simple ceremony at the war memorial at 11 a.m. and I found my mind straying to Arrochar where (I still think of them as my people) will have been standing silently at the memorial there.
Ken read the poem which was always part of our Luss remembering:
Back home we set about ransacking the barns to find Rachel’s ‘cello – eventually discovering it deep in a barn, inside one of the wardrobes there. I did a little tidying in the study and soon it was time to change back into my Sunday clothes to go off to Fogo for the Remembrance Service there at 3.30 p.m.
Fogo Kirk in the late afternoon sunshine
The Church at Fogo is a delightful old building – the pews are high and compel one to sit very upright; the congregation is small (well the population of the village is just twenty-two) but since we discovered that we belong to its parish we determined to attend today. The service was conducted by Alan Cartwright, the minister; it was quite different from the morning service, but just as meaningful with a message based on the importance of remembering and with the wreath being laid at the memorial after the service by Alan’s son in his RAF uniform. We read from Ecclesiasticus ‘Let us now praise famous men’ – which to me is always part of a remembrance service.
After the service we drove home and walked the dogs as it was just beginning to get dark. As we arrived home, Scott and Sue arrived with Sue’s parents and we all shared in afternoon tea in the farm house.
Later, after our visitors had left, we dined on home-made fishcakes and fried potatoes and beans, followed by ice cream and banana; and later still, in the granary, in front of the roaring stove, Rachel and I, with Cathy and Mum, watched the final part of Downton Abbey and the news before walking the dogs and retiring to bed. It had been a very special day.
Saturday 9th. November, 2013 – I start to unpack
Rachel and Cathy in the Granary kitchen -- next time I'll use flash!
Rose, walked Mix and breakfasted with Olive, Mum and Cathy in the farm house. Digger had set off for Kirkcaldy and Rachel was walking Rowan. Then I made my way to the study and started to unpack. By the end of the day the study was in total chaos but I had unpacked three boxes and the unpacking has begun. Rachel, Mum and Cathy went off to Duns, did some shopping and had a coffee at Pearsons. I took delivery of two tons of logs and filled the log bin for the winter before returning to the unpacking.
In the mid afternoon I walked Mix and then showered and changed for an early tea before driving Mum, Cathy and Olive into Berwick where we attended the Maltings to see the amateur operatic presentation of the Vicar of Dibley. We arrived early, parked outside the theatre and then had a drink in the bar before the performance began. It is a lovely building and a warm and atmospheric auditorium – the theatre has been going since 1990 but the auditorium has an older feel to it. I liked it. And I enjoyed the show as well – the play won through although I always feel that it is a bit of a shame when the intention of the cast is to imitate the performances of the television cast, to be impersonators rather than actors, but there is no doubt that that is what the audience both expected and wanted and it was a very happy evening. We were in the second front row, having only decided to get tickets at the last moment, near enough to hear the occasional prompt, but also near enough to appreciate how good some of the performances were – and I did enjoy the musical items.
We drove home and had tea and coffee in the granary before walking the dogs and going to bed. Retirement just continues to roll on – I booked tickets on line for next Friday before going to bed: a professional performance in the studio theatre at the Maltings, Royal Flush. More about that next week!
Friday 8th. November, 2013 -- A Trip to Berwick and Dinner with Tom and Dorothy
Saturday, November 9, 2013, 11:17 AM
Berwick from the City Walls
I had intended to work on unpacking today but Rachel and Cathy decided that they would like to go to Berwick and Mum and I decided to go along as well – isn’t it good being retired? Mum and I explored a book shop (Mum had presents to buy) and then we met up with Cathy and Rachel who had been exploring charity shops for bargains. We lunched at the Maltings (I had Cullen Skink – and much of Mum’s salad) and Rachel bought tickets for a streaming from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre of Richard II on next Wednesday evening. (We got a discount because we are retired!) We visited the Town House – a gift shop and a cafe which Mum remembers from trips here with Gran in times gone by – and then we walked along the city walls getting a superb view of the Tweed and of Tweedmouth beyond.
Outside the Maltings
Now why did they drag me up here?
We drove back to Mount Pleasant and I walked Mix while Rachel delved into one of the barns. I am going to leave opening boxes until tomorrow, there really is no rush at all!
In the evening Rachel and I were taken out to dinner by Tom and Dorothy. It was a wonderful evening! We dined in a little restaurant in the middle of Duns. My starter was cauliflower fritters in a mayonnaise dip. I went on to a leek crumble with vegetables and followed it up with a raspberry crème caramel. Wonderful food and superb company. After the meal we went back to Tom and Dorothy’s home. It is looking great and they have done a lot with it. It is one of the homes that quite by chance, Olive and my Mum looked at when they were house hunting; of course, Tom and Dorothy had it off the market long before we were at the stage of making a purchase. But they have really made it their own – a cross between a family home and a depository for guitars! Tom and Dorothy gave me a wonderful painting of a steam locomotive – the Sir Nigel Gresley – they know what I like. How kind of them to want to mark my retirement! They are very special friends -- we are lucky to have so many of them.
We drove home in time to catch Newsnight, walk the dogs and collapse into bed. I am definitely getting to like this retirement thing!
Thursday 7th. November, 2013 – A Visit to Holy Island
Friday, November 8, 2013, 04:42 PM
St. Aiden smiles kindly at Mum
Awoke, showered, walked the dog and breakfasted before loading Mum, Cathy, Rachel, Mix and Rowan into the car and driving to Holy Island. We arrived there just before eleven and discovered that we had almost a four-hour window to cross the causeway and enjoy the island. In fact we didn’t use all of that time partly because the island was incredibly windy (Mum was left clinging to a lamppost) and partly because most things were closed because the season had obviously ended at the 31st. October. However we walked into the village and saw the Church of St. Mary which is next to the remains of the old Saxon Church and the remains of the Priory which is now looked after by English Heritage.
Inside the Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin
The parish church stands on the site of the wooden church built by St. Aiden in 635 AD and it was this church which during the Anglo-Saxon period was replaced by a small stone church. It was the Benedictine monks of Durham who established this as the parish church in the twelfth century. Since the Reformation the church has been an Anglican one. Outside the priory is a statue of St. Aiden – I had initially confused it with St. Cuthbert because of his association with this place. In fact, inside the church there is a sculpture in elm called ‘The Journey’ which shows six monks taking St. Cuthbert’s body from the island on a journey across the north during the time of the Viking raids.
The leaflet in the church says that the famous saints associated with the island are Aiden, an Irish monk and remarkable missionary from Iona who founded the monastery and a school on Lindisfarne; and Cuthbert, a solitary leader and healer who struggled with the conflict between demands of the world and his calling – but there is also a bust of King Olaf of Norway who sent a letter apologising for the Viking raids which terrorised so much of this part of Britain.
A view of the Castle from the Priory ruins
We also saw a facsimile of the Londisfarne Gospels and admired the Reredos with pictures of Columba, Oswald, Aidan, Wilfrid, Cuthbert and Bede. Outside the little church the wind was blowing and we all helped each other back to the car, noticing on the way the sign outside the National Trust Shop telling us that the castle was closed. We drove as near as we could so that we could get a look at the castle and then set off for Bamburgh again aiming for the castle.
Inside the Barn at Beal -- well worth a visit
On the way we stopped at the Barn at Beal, a rather splendid restaurant for walkers and holiday makers. We were served an excellent meal (I had scampi and chips) and then we continued on our way to Bamburgh Castle. This castle too was closed – off season it is only open at the weekends – but we were able to walk around it and get a good look at it from the outside. It is so familiar not least from all of the many films in which it has appeared. (We passed the Lord Crewe Arms where Rachel and I stayed during our honeymoon.) From here we drove to Seahouses, seven miles south of Bamburgh. Mum had stayed here for a week with Dad when they were at Galashiels and came to visit their Boy’s Brigade camp.
A view of the Farne Islands from Bamburgh Castle
Having toured Seahouses – it seemed larger and more prosperous than I remembered – we drove back to Mount Pleasant. It is really good having so many places so near to where we now live.
Olive had returned from her teaching at Dundee and we all dined together in the evening. Then, Cathy and Mum came over to the Granary and we watched ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ and an episode of ‘Only Fools and Horses’ (one of my father’s favourites) while we had tea, coffee, snowballs and wagon wheels for supper. It had been a really good day.
Wednesday 6th. November, 2013 – We travel to Coldstream
Wednesday, November 6, 2013, 11:44 PM
Mum emerging from the library
Awoke and walked mix before breakfasting on bacon and egg made by Cathy in the Farmhouse. Dealt with some emails and got my blog up to date as well as preparing the music files for Arrochar’s Remembrance Service this Sunday before taking Mum into Duns to attend the reading group at the local library. Collected her an hour and a half later and noticed that outside the library there is a point to enable electric cars to be charged while their owners visit the library – that’s pretty good!
An electric car charging point outside the library
Tea at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Room
Back home we decided to go for a short outing to Coldstream which is about nine miles south of here on the banks of the river Tweed and therefore right on the boundary between England and Scotland. Cathy, Rachel, Mum and I went into a little cafe themed on the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and enjoyed cream of onion soup and a sandwich (in my case cheese and pickle). We visited an Army surplus shop on the main street. In addition to selling ex-army equipment and clothes it had a splendid little museum of the second world war. We wandered around it and even sat inside an Anderson Shelter. Cathy bought a breathable and waterproof army fleece so that she is set up for the winter!
The Army Surplus Store in Coldstream
We explored the streets of Coldstream and, as the light began to fade, we returned to the car and made our way back to Mount Pleasant. I walked Mix and gave him his tea and played with some of the photographs I had taken while we were out (you can do that when you are retired)!
The Square at Coldstream
Digger had prepared an excellent dinner – pork, potato and leek ‘briquettes’ and ‘black cabbage’, followed by banana splits.
Afterwards we sat in front of the tv and watched David Suchet as Poirot in his penultimate performance in the role. Managed to stay awake for the news and Newsnight which tonight were dominated by job cuts on the Clyde and at Portsmouth, with the suggestion that the Clyde can continue to build British warships but only if it remains within the United Kingdom.
Tuesday 5th. November, 2013 -- Fireworks
Fireworks at Mount Pleasant -- just like when I was small
Up and walked the dog and then enjoyed breakfast with Mum and Cathy in the farmhouse. Started sorting out my finances and then drove Mum into Duns to have her hair done, returning to collect her an hour later.
Worked on my papers, getting everything in order for my retirement during the afternoon, and then, after walking Mix, we all dined together in the farm kitchen: sausages, potatoes and carrots.
In the evening Digger set off some fireworks:
Digger silhouetted against the fireworks
It really was just as I remembered it from childhood days. Afterwards we watched the concluding part of a Lewis which we had started to watch yesterday and I haven't a clue what happened as I promptly fell asleep -- I think it was coming from the cold of firework-watching to the lovely warmth of the granary lounge!
Monday 4th. November, 2013 -- Tom takes me in hand
Enjoying the farm house
Up and walked Mix and then breakfasted. Tom arrived and we took the big TV off the wall in order to fit extra connections behind the screen. Got the TV connected to the internet and discovered that I can now access the internet on the TV – including the BBC and ITV i-players. I spent some time on the internet: we were given a very generous cheque by our congregations when we left Arrochar and Luss. We’ve thought to spend the money on a summer house – so I wanted to see what was available and also what planning permissions were required. I discovered that as long as our summer house fulfils certain conditions about its size, position and use, no permission is required.
Tom arrived and we went off to Pearson’s to see what they had on offer in terms of summer houses. We also enjoyed coffee and chocolate at their restaurant. Then it was into Duns itself to post letters. From there we went on to Tom’s home to see his zoo – four goats, many hens – some hand-reared – 10,000 bees, two cats and one dog. Dorothy (who had been busy making coats for the goats) came back with us to Mount Pleasant to see Mum and Cathy.
Mix enjoys the farmhouse too!
Did some more research and then we dined in the farm kitchen on mince, carrots and potatoes followed by birthday cake and ice cream. In the evening we all watched a BBC2 programme in which a group of folk from P & O were moulded into a choir and then the news and Newsnight before bed.
Sunday 3rd. November, 2013 -- I love our country Sundays
Digger blowing out his candles -- caught by Scott on his mobile phone
Up and walked Mix on the Swinton Road, had breakfast in the farmhouse and then Mum, Cathy, Rachel and I went off to Church at Gavinton – the minister spoke about Saints, appropriately given that this is the season of ‘all saints’. After the service we had coffee in the hall before making our way home to get the Granary ready to provide drinks for everyone at noon to start the celebrations for Digger’s birthday. At noon, everyone arrived – Digger and Olive, Mum and Cathy, Peter and Veronica, Scott and Sue. Rachel had prepared an aperitivo and some nibbles.
Then we all moved to the farm house for a buffet meal: curry, sweet and sour, cheese and a large chocolate birthday cake.
Later in the afternoon Rachel and I went into Duns to walk the dogs around by Duns Castle. We got some cash from the machine to make our food contribution (it’s just like the TV series ‘Bread’ – we even have a china hen under which the cash is kept). We bought Digger’s present (a voucher from the Garden Centre to go with the books about vegetable growing given by Mix and Rowan).
While we were all sitting round the fire in the farm house, Alan Cartwright, the minister from Swinton (and also Fogo) arrived to visit. It was really kind of him and I enjoyed meeting him. It seems that we are in Fogo parish. Next Sunday there is a service at Fogo Church at 3.30 in the afternoon (it is Remembrance Sunday) and I will try to attend.
Later we enjoyed a snack meal before moving back to the Granary with Cathy and Mum to watch Downton Abbey. And then, after walking Mix, and everyone had gone to bed, I watched ‘The Dukes of Hazard’ – and enjoyed the throwback to my younger years! Realised that today is the first day that I have felt retired – I suppose that it is because I have completed my duties at Luss and also because I will now be at home in the Borders for more than just two or three days. It is going to be good! Even although it was late when I went to bed I read for quite a while, starting ‘Five Dead Canaries’ by Edward Marston. I think that I have read just about everything he has written, it is light but it is also fun and catches the mood of the period – in this case the first world war – excellently.
Saturday 2nd. November, 2013 -- My Final Wedding in Luss Church
Lindsay and David
Up and set the fire in the manse, checked the heating in the Church, walked Mix around the paths of the glebe which are not flooded and then got ready for the wedding. Just before it started my bridegroom from last Saturday arrived. What a panic! It seems that last Saturday after the wedding the best man had lost the marriage certificate. It was later found by Cathy on the road, but not before it had been soaked by the rain and run over by several cars. The registrar was not best pleased but had issued a second certificate for the bridegroom to get everyone to re-sign and then return to her. I suppose that it could have been worse!
David and Lindsay’s wedding was special – a bit damp, but special – and I was glad that it was so because this was my last ministerial function. By 1 p.m. – the wedding was at noon – I was retired! I caught a brief word with Morag and Bill (it was so good to see then both and then Cathy, Rachel and I, along with the dogs, set off for Luss, arriving soon after 5 p.m. We met up with Olive and Digger’s friends, Peter and Veronica, and we all shared in a lovely meal in the farm kitchen. Later in the evening Mum and Cathy joined us in the Granary where we enjoyed just relaxing in front of the stove in the drawing room. I walked Mix before bed.
Friday 1st. November, 2013 -- A Day in transit
Shipboard Chores
Got up about nine and after breakfast we started getting the boat in order. I took the toilet cassette off and emptied and cleaned it so that all was fresh for next time. The engine was run for two hours to ensure that the battery is full for when we return. The water and power was turned off – the taps left open to ensure that if things froze nothing would break. The stove was cleaned out and reset – I went off and bought two more sacks of coal briquettes so that there is plenty in hand for when we come to the boat next.
We set off for Luss about 12.30 and arrived around 5 p.m. It was an uneventful drive, the only hold up being at the Erskine Bridge.
At 6 p.m. we conducted the wedding rehearsal for David and Lindsay’s wedding tomorrow at noon – this will be my final ministerial act (although I will conduct a couple of weddings next year as a friend – but not in Luss Church). After the rehearsal we shared a Chinese take-away and Rachel got on with all of the music preparation which took her most of the evening. I watched an episode of Frost which I hadn’t seen before. We walked the dogs and went to bed.
Thursday 31st. October, 2013 -- Hallowe'en
Slept in again before walking Mix and counting 97 boats in the marina today. Went about the ship-board chores. I emptied the toilet cassette, while the engine was charging the batteries.
We drove to Ilkley where we walked the dogs on the moor – around a pond which Rachel remembers from childhood. I ’phoned Mum because she spent her honeymoon here.
The pool at Ilkley
The town of Ilkley
On the way back to the boat we stopped at The Bull for a meal: cauliflower fritters followed by fish and chips.
Back on board, the weather turned nasty – it rained and rained so we settled down with our books. I read ‘The Treasure Hunt’ by Andrea Camilleri, and beautifully translated by Stephen Sartarelli. It is one of Camilleri’s best Montalbano books and I would recommend it to anyone. Walked the dogs and got to bed around half-past ten.
Wednesday 30th. October, 2013 -- Getting used to canal life
Looking down on Skipton
Really slept in! It was eleven before I got up and, after breakfast, we took the dogs to Skipton where we climbed to the top of the hill overlooking the town. It was mid afternoon before we got down to the car and drove into the town. We found a shop with all walking boots and shoes half-price, with today an extra 20% off. We each bought a couple of pairs and felt that we were really getting bargain. The market was in full swing in Skipton. I bought some licorice but one could have bought almost anything.
Climbing a style
We got back to the boat just before it got dark, for afternoon tea – well, in my case, for Pineapple juice and Eccles cake. Great!
We dined on board and then watched ‘Now you see me’ – a strange thriller based on a group of illusionists. Quite fun. Walked the dogs and went to bed.
Tuesday 29th. October, 2013 – In Barnoldswick
Emerging from The Young Rachel
Got up and walked the dogs to Greenberfield and back – a walk of about an hour and a half including an exploration of where the locks had originally been and chatting with a Mr. Logan on the tow path about the virtues of different sorts of dogs.
Breakfast on Board
Back at the boat we breakfasted while the engine charged the batteries. I went along to see Wayne and to pay our mooring fees for another year – remarkably these have remained constant over the three years we have been here, must be one of the best buys around.
Rachel and I, with the dogs, went off to Skipton where we found a public bridle path which we explored and from which we got a glorious view of the town.
Back in Skipton I bought Rachel’s birthday present – a pendant and ear-rings of amber – and we did some shopping before returning to the boat where we settled down with a drink and listened to the news (all about the prices of gas and electricity and discussions between the companies and a parliamentary select committee).
It was dark here by 5 p.m. and it is still only October. Admittedly it is an overcast afternoon but if it is dark at 5 p.m. in October, what will it be like by the end of December?
After dining on board, we watched a DVD bought in the afternoon – all snug with the stove burning brightly and the dogs settled down comfortably. The DVD was called Argo and told the tale of how some of the Americans from the Embassy in Iran were smuggled out of the country back in the siege of 1979/80. I remember the events well because one of the consular staff from Genoa – Bob Ode – was caught up as a hostage and was held prisoner for 444 days. I remember seeing him walk down the steps of a plane when they all arrived back in the USA.
Walked Mix and counted 43 narrow boats with people – or at least lights – on board. For a Tuesday in October that seems like a very large number. Tomorrow I will count all the boats.
Monday 28th. October, 2013 -- We set off south
From the Other Side of the Canal
Woke early and turned the bedroom tv on at once to see how the projected storm had developed. Confirmed gusts of 99 miles an hour in the south and five deaths (two from falling trees, two from a gas explosion caused by a falling tree and one swept out to sea); massive travel disruption and, as the day developed, 600,000 homes without power.
Olive had been driven to Berwick to catch a train to Dundee but, as it was cancelled, Digger had to drive all the way to Dundee. We footled around and I had coffee with Mum before, at 12.15, we set off for Barnoldswick and Rachel’s narrow boat, arriving at 3.40 – I was surprised that it was still such a long journey from the Borders. However, I discovered that Chester-le-Street is just 90 minutes from our house, so that bodes well for the summer.
Found the boat well, lit the stove, turned on the engine to charge the batteries, walked the dogs and settled down for an evening in the boat. We dined and then watched the latest ‘Three Musketeers’ on DVD. Based loosely on the Dumas story but with flying galleons suspended from balloons it was a great romp.
Walked the dogs and retired to bed.
Sunday 27th. October, 2013 -- Another great Sunday.
Monday, October 28, 2013, 10:34 AM
Rachel, the mechanic, at work on my car
Got up refreshed after that extra hour in bed. Rachel awoke with a start not realising that the clock had gone back and convinced that she was late. On discovering that she wasn’t, she went back to sleep.
I walked the dog, breakfasted and then we all (Mum, Rachel and I) drove to church at Gavinton where we met up with Tom and Dorothy and enjoyed morning service which centred on the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. (I remember preaching on the story at an induction in Riverside Church years ago). This was a parable that my Dad really didn’t like (largely because he didn't think that it was fair) and I remember arguing with him and trying to make the point that the one basic rule about parables is that they are stories designed to make one point and one point only. (of course he knew that -- but he still thought it was unfair!) It can be fun to read into parables but that’s not really why they were told. Having said that, I really enjoyed Ann's sermon and the way that it brought out what Jesus was saying in this extended passage of teaching about prayer, in fact I loved the whole service. I am constantly amazed at the depth of Luke's perception about what really matters and about what he wants his readers to understand about the Christian pilgrimage. It seems so simple; it is so deep.
Back home, Rachel fitted the dog guard and then we set off for Spittal which is the beach and village just beside Berwick. We walked the dogs along the beach and were quite surprised at how sheltered it was – the winds are strong today (in preparation, perhaps for the storms forecast for tomorrow). We went on to the shopping area where I collected my sound bar from Curry’s and bought a lawnmower from Home Base, not least because they were having a 15% off weekend. How domesticated I am becoming – and I am quite looking forward to cutting the grass when the weather improves.
The light house from the play park at Spittal
Back home I set up the sound bar and then we ate with Olive, Digger and Mum in the farmhouse and returned to the Granary so that I could deal with some emails and prepare the wedding for next Saturday and the music for Arrochar for next Sunday. That done, we watched Downton Abbey and the news which was dominated by fears about the heavy weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning, walked the dogs and went to bed.
Saturday 26th. October, 2013 -- Rachel’s Birthday and We’re Working!
Autumn in Luss
I slept in until nine and then walked Mix, lit the fire and packed Rachel’s car. Then we planted the four signs (little plaques, really) we are leaving behind – the first to the dogs buried in the garden: Kim, Radar, Fang, Juno, Skye and Holly; then, by their trees in the glebe to Rachel’s Mum and Dad, to my Dad, and to Anne. Luss has been a happy place for us both but there have been real sadnesses as well. I suppose that Luss and Arrochar and their people have carried us through them and that life is about good and about sad times as well. Planting these little plaques brought home to me that we are moving on and also that we are leaving something of ourselves as well.
Our loving and much loved friends
I showered and got changed for the wedding, relieved that the weather is fair although there are warnings about mighty storms to come – the worst to hit England, but our new home is only nine miles from the border: can we trust the wind to know where the border is?
Remembrance Trees on the Glebe
The wedding was another really special occasion and with all the rain around, the couple were extremely lucky to get in and out in the dry before setting off for their reception at the Lodge on Loch Lomond. Today the photographer was Henry who lives in the same road in Cumbernauld in which Rachel and I lived when I was a probationer assistant at the start of my career so many years ago.
Gemma and John
Rachel and I set off for Duns as quickly as we could. It is Rachel’s birthday and we wanted to have time to celebrate it at home. It was an interesting journey: road works on the M8 held us back but the radio was good. Enjoyed an episode of The Bottom Line hosted by Evan Davis with John Timpson of the Timpson Shoe and Key business as a guest. There are 800 branches (and another 300 which deal with photocopying etc). John Timpson runs it as an upside down business. Decisions are made at branch level and it is all about providing service for the customer. There is flexibility in pricing and discounts and anything that goes wrong is encouraged to be sorted out at branch level. The area managers are there primarily to ensure that the right staff is appointed and then to support them. The central headquarters (John Timpson wouldn’t care for the title I expect) is there to support the rest of the organisation. Imagination is used in the appointment of staff and opportunities are given to ex-offenders. John Timpson was challenged about giving ex-cons the job of cutting folks’ keys! But he explained that their records showed that if you gave someone a chance and trusted them that people responded to that and that the record of things going wrong was no better or worse than with folk appointed from other backgrounds. He went on to say that he thought that much of the present compulsion to have systems and rules to safeguard against the one or two bad apples prevented so many good things from happening and that this was something which society as a whole had to learn.
I found the programme entrancing. Of course I was transferring in my mind the situation to the Church. If we truly turned it upside down and left the decision-making to the parishes and saw the centre as purely a small support organisation and presbyteries as only there to provide support and enable congregations to do what they wanted to do, what a different church we would have. I’ll be turning this over in my mind for some time to come.
Back home we found that Scott and Sue (my brother and sister-in-law) waiting with Mum, Digger and Olive for a birthday meal. We enjoyed a drink, toasted Rachel in Champaign and ate well before retiring to the Granary, walking the dog and going to bed. We will get an extra hour in bed tonight. Wonderful!
(Got a phone call from Cathy to say that after the wedding she had found the marriage document on the road, soaked and run over by passing cars but, thankfully, still legible. I always make quite a thing of handing over the document to the best man -- I guess that there will be some explaining to be done to the registrar on Monday, but our registrars are kind folk and I am sure that it will be all right!)
Friday 25th. October, 2013 -- Mexico comes to Luss
Felipe and Rachel
Up and walked the dog around the river path – it is very wet. Lit the fire in the manse and met with Mike to show him how to work the print machine and tell him what I used to do for Remembrance Sunday – because he asked, I hasten to record, I am delighted that now I am no longer there that they do their own thing. Chris and Cathy had got the church looking beautiful and it was warm as well.
After a shower and changing into my wedding uniform I conducted the wedding ceremony – the rain eased and then stopped as the bride arrived and it remained fair for photographs afterwards. (Graham was the photographer – it is always good to see him, and his photos are always worth seeing as well.) It was a really lovely wedding, one of my favourite weddings, I think; although to be honest I love them all – but there was something special about the small numbers and the fact that the couple have waited and waited for their wedding. (A very excited couple of Chinese girls on holiday were delighted to photograph the bride as she arrived.) After the wedding everyone set off for the Duck Bay Marina for the reception.
After the wedding Rachel and I drove down to the Alexandria library so that Rachel could return all of her books; then we continued on to Dumbarton to buy a dog guard for my car, a tom-tom from Mix and Rowan for Rachel for her birthday tomorrow, and a £10 dinner for two from Marks and Spencer for tonight.
Back to Luss in time to walk Mix around the river path before conducting the wedding rehearsal for John and Gemma whose wedding will take place tomorrow. It is going to be a big wedding – another lovely couple. I’m looking forward to it already! Went back to the manse and reflected on both the privilege of sharing in folk’s weddings and on the opportunity which each wedding presents. Discussion so often tends to centre on the financial importance of weddings for the local economy or the stress and stain it places on the church but it is really about the opportunity of placing our faith right at the heart of one of the most special moments of peoples’ lives. It is quite simply what we are here for.
I watched the News and Newsnight (it is good that matters at Grangemouth are resolving)and then got caught up in a programme about magical illusions – so I went to bed late.
Thursday 24th. October, 2013 – Back in Harness Once More
The Borders are so very beautiful
Rose and walked Mix down the Swinton Road and along Bramble Avenue, returning by the Kelso Road. Breakfasted on fried potatoes and freshly laid egg with Mum and Digger. Olive is still not home as Dundee University has prevailed upon her to teach an additional course to their law students.
Back in the Granary I dealt with some emails and started to organise my computer now that I am again on-line. In fact I discovered that much of my new internet connection is still not functioning properly (emails etc.). I telephoned BT and they told me that it would be another two days before everything was functioning as it should. Ah well!
I drove Mum to Gavinton Church so that she could attend the monthly congregational lunch before the Guild meeting. I would like to have stayed myself but we had to set off for Luss. Mum is now thoroughly into the Guild, attending the meetings at both Gavinton and Duns and enjoying them both very much. I do not think that it will be very long before her diary is as busy down here as it was in Kirkcaldy.
Rachel and I set off for Luss. It was a good drive with both dogs behaving well. Cathy was waiting to greet us when we arrived and soon we had a fire roaring in the grate – the central heating is still not functioning. I conducted the rehearsal for the wedding of Felipe and Rachel which will be held tomorrow. Felipe is from Mexico and tomorrow’s celebration has been delayed from earlier in the year because of visa difficulties. I am so pleased to be part of this wedding.
While I completed the rehearsal, Rachel went off to collect a Chinese take-away which we enjoyed while watching an old Poirot which we had seen before but the pictures are superb, and later I watched the News: I was delighted to see that there was just a glimmer of hope for Grangemouth before we walked the dogs and went to bed.
Wednesday 23rd. October, 2013 -- The Granary Goes On-line
Thursday, October 24, 2013, 10:46 AM
Wonderful apples growing wild in Bramble Avenue
It dawned fair – a nice surprise after all of the rain of previous days. I had given today up to the installation of our telephone as I had no idea how long it would all take. In fact after I had walked Mix and joined Mum and Digger for breakfast I had time to start on the spare bedroom, moving furniture around and, just when I had things in the greatest guddle imaginable, the telephone engineers arrived. It is always thus!
There was an immediate question: the lines to the farmhouse cross the road from a pole to the farmhouse, but was the line high enough? If not there was a problem. This became a little strange when I discovered that the join for the telephone connection came from a box beside one of our barns. From there the cable went underground to the other side of the road, went up a pole and came back over the road to our house. Would it not be easier to take the connection from the box by the side of the barn and lead it into our house? This was not possible. However the cherry-picker was able to ensure that the height across the road was adequate (5.9 metres) and once a hole had been drilled through our wall (it is more than a metre thick) we had not only a working telephone but an internet connection as well. Immediately emails regarding weddings started flooding into my system – I forwarded them on to Luss!
As the telephone engineers left, my friends Robin and Helen arrived. Robin was my Episcopalian colleague when I was at Bishopbriggs. Now they are based at Dumfries but were staying near here on holiday. It was really, really good to see them both and to hear of all that is going on in their church community. We had afternoon tea with giant cakes from the local baker in Duns.
Later, I walked the dog and had a first tidy of the bedroom before we dined and then settled down to watch the new Poirot on TV, followed by the sad news about the Grangemouth petrochemical plant and its imminent closure (unless something can be done at the last moment to save it). Finally, in the moonlight, Mix and I walked around the policies before going to bed and spending some time reading before sleep.
Tuesday 22nd. October, 2013 -- Today I really did make a start
Wednesday, October 23, 2013, 12:28 PM
Everywhere something is growing – these are berries in the hedges by the sides of the fields
Up and walked Mix – it is a rotten day and I was woken by the smoke alarm going off. It was a false alarm caused by the battery having expired. After breakfast I took Mum into Duns to get her hair done. I went off to the Golf Club to collect my membership badge. I learned that there is a driving range very close to Duns and that there is a golf professional who gives lessons – maybe that’s where I’ll start.
While Mum was getting her hair done I went and bought some bits and pieces at the Co-op where I was served by a very friendly and chatty lady – it makes a difference and I will be back. On arriving back at the Granary (with a new battery for the smoke alarm) I saw a team of BT engineers working in the road outside Mount Pleasant. I spoke to them and it seems that everything is ‘on’ for our telephone services tomorrow. I hope so!
We lunched in the Granary on bread and smoked ham and salami with grapes. I cleaned and tidied my bathroom as a precursor to starting on unpacking boxes but then Rachel wanted to go into Duns so I went with her and on my return I took Mix for a walk to Crunklaw and found a really quiet road which goes either to Gavinton or to Fogo – the Fogo trip, a very nice lady who looks after horses at the farm told me, is five miles. Sounds like a good walk for a fairer day.
Back home I really did start on my room but no sooner had I made that start than it was time to eat and afterwards I continued for a while before watching an episode of Doc Martin before catching the end of Newsnight, walking Mix and retiring to bed.
Monday 21st. October, 2013 -- Getting Sorted Out – well just starting really
Autumn is drawing in
Up a bit later, around 8.30 a.m. and walked Mix along the Swinton Road before breakfast with Mum and Digger. Spent the morning getting my blog up to date and dealing with lots of emails. Even here, having been away for a few days, the email programme was absolutely jammed full. I can only access them through my mother’s internet connection so I don’t like to disturb her too often. However, we are due to get our own telephone line and internet connection on Wednesday so it won’t be too long before we join the real world once more.
The seat given to us by Luss Guild
Rachel now has the Guild seat given to us by the Luss Guild on our retirement sitting outside the door of the Granary in the courtyard. We haven’t really had the weather to enjoy it yet – but it is very much admired and we never pass it without thinking of all of our friends. Sitting next to the seat is a bird bath. It was the only thing my father wanted to take from the garden of his home in Buckhaven when they left. It came to Luss and now it is here with us in the borders. I am sure that it won’t stay here: Mum would like to have it where she can see it from her morning-room window; so once the weather improves we’ll move it there.
Had some toad-in-the-hole with Digger at lunch time and then, in the afternoon, Rachel, Mum and I set off for Berwick. Mum wanted to make some purchases from W H Smith (diary for 2014), Rachel wanted to buy some bits and pieces from Tesco (brush and dust pan and other odds and ends) and I wanted to pop into Curry’s – when I bought our television a couple of weeks ago I was given a voucher for £200 provided I used it within thirty days. As we are unlikely to be here much during the latter part of this month I thought I had better spend it before it expired. I bought a sound bar for the television and a blue ray DVD player. I also bought three films: Les Miserables, the latest James Bond and the film about Abraham Lincoln. In the evening we watched Les Miserables on the new television and blue ray player. It was absolutely out of this world. When I think of the tiny black and white television on which we watched the coronation all those years ago, how the television experience has changed!
In between we dined with Mum and Digger – Scotch Broth and fish-pie, very yummy. Later we walked the dogs – no moon tonight (too many clouds) so it was very dark and I read some more of The Unusual Pilgrimage of Harold Fry in bed. I am going to get to love this new way of life.
Sunday 20th. October, 2013 Sundays are Good
Monday, October 21, 2013, 02:23 PM
Abbey St. Bathans from the bridge over the Whiteadder
Got up and walked Mix – the roads are totally deserted and we could be on the moon. I just love the isolation here. The fields have already changed since last week as crops are starting to grow even although we are well into the Autumn. Breakfasted in the farmhouse and then went off to Gavinton Church with Mum and Rachel.
Counting the organist and the minister, there were just twenty of us, but numbers don’t matter and it was a lovely service on the theme of the ‘unjust judge’; Ann, the minister, using her past experience as an advocate to revel in the story which is all about the contrast between human authority and God. It is good to be reminded both of God’s unceasing care and of the importance of prayer. Back home, in these now endless days, we loaded Mix and Rowan into Rachel’s car and drove to Coldingham where we walked the dogs along the beach, returning through Reston where we saw that the house which Mum used to own has been all done up and is now for sale.
Inside the Church at Abbey St. Bathans
Collecting Mum, we set off for the tiny village of Abbey St. Bathans (in the parish of Gavinton) where we attended the reopening of the little village Church. It wasn’t really what we had expected – there were no pews but it was a lovely building. It seems that a few years ago the Church felt that it could no longer afford the upkeep of the building and so it was sold to a local couple who, with help from the community, have turned the building into something quite special which will be used for community events and, from time to time, as a church. The building was full and there was a lot of enthusiasm – so things look bright for both the community and for the wider church parish.
Back home – it was still only half-past four – Scott arrived and we all sat and chatted in the farmhouse before dinner at seven, after which we retired to the Granary and watched Downton Abbey and the news before walking the dogs in the moonlight before bed.
Saturday 19th. October, 2013 -- Wet, Wet – and a Wedding
The Luss Water imitating the Mississippi
Up and walked the dog around the glebe. It is very, very wet and the river is running fast. Already many of the paths are flooded and it is a thoroughly nasty day. Back at the manse I popped over to the church to sort the heating, lit a coal fire in the manse (where there is no other heating) and I checked that every room was still clean and tidy. I got the apple tree (given to us by the Luss Sunday School) ready to put in the car and chatted with Alison and Elspeth as they stapled the orders of service. Cathy got the church ready for the wedding, florists arrived to do their thing, Rachel practised the music and then we loaded her car so that we could set off as soon as the 2 p.m. wedding was concluded.
Emma and Clive
It was bad luck to get such awful weather for their wedding but Emma and Clive were having a day to remember with a lovely service at Luss Church followed by a reception at the Loch Lomond Golf Club. After the service the weather eased a bit to enable photos to be taken; we got into Rachel’s Berlingo and made excellent time back to Mount Pleasant, arriving just after six, joining Mum, Digger and Olive for a splendid meal and then retiring to our new home and luxuriating in the fact that we were here – and how cosy it is. Stayed up quite late just footling about: it is good to be home.
Friday 18th. October, 2013 -- We Get Quite a Lot Done
Apples on the Glebe
I walked Mix around the glebe and snapped these apples growing in the little orchard. Then I continued with the manse clean-up. It is now all done and looking clean, ship-shape and quite attractive. Rachel photographed every room, they all looked so good. I met with Mike to run over some of the questions which had inevitably arisen since I had left. How can the heating system in the church be set? How does the central heating in the centre operate? How do you change ink in the Riso machine? We worked through the list and at least one person now knows as much as I do.
In the afternoon Cathy ‘dog sat’ while Rachel and I went off to the library (Rachel to return books), the Outlets (Rachel to buy shoes), Antartex (both of us buy ‘bargain – sale’ clothes, Lomond Shores (Rachel to buy dog-walking shoes) and then it was back to Luss where I walked Mix around the glebe before tonight’s wedding rehearsal for the wedding of Emma and Clive.
After the rehearsal Cathy came back to look after the dogs and to allow Rachel and I to go down to Alexandria for an evening meal with Jessie and May. It was a wonderful meal with all of my favourites – smoked salmon followed by roast beef and then raspberry pavlova with a very pleasant Chianti, and coffee to end. It was a gloriously relaxed evening – one of the most enjoyable of my retirement.
I’ve been reflecting on time. Until I retired every day, every week, every month just rushed by. No sooner did I get up then it was lunchtime and after a few moments or so it seemed it was the evening. I never had enough time and there was so much to be squeezed into each day. Now, just three weeks into retirement, time has slowed right down. I seem to have so much time. Days go on and on. There is time to think. Time to read. Time to plan. Time to walk the dog and time just to be. I want to savour this stage – for fear that it will not last.
I sat and read ‘The Unusual Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ for an hour before bed – it was already late, but so what? I have time and energy to do these things now.
Thursday 17th. October, 2013 --- Cleaning, a Wedding and a Shopping Trip
A Happy Wedding Couple
I walked Mix along the river path – it was wet and everything was very quiet. Then I started in earnest on the manse, cleaning the top floor and working down to the middle floor. Cathy was here and it was great to see her.
Conducted the wedding of Patricia and James – that’s their picture at the head of this entry. It was a lovely wedding and afterwards the couple and their guests set off for the Duck Bay Marina for their reception. Rachel and I set off for Braehead. Rachel needed some bits and pieces to enable her to hand over copies of all of her music files and slides for use during the services and I wanted to speak to the folk at Apple about buying a computer and a printer which will see me through my retirement. I discovered that Apple was filled with school children so I will go back next week.
We had a snack, bought some books and returned to Luss to discover that the central heating in the manse had broken down. What a good job I left a full coal bunker! We were really quite warm as we watched Poirot on television and enjoyed another snack in the evening.
Wednesday 16th. October, 2013 -- And Off We Go Again
The Granary as we set off again
Walked Mix and showered. There was still quite a bit of fog around and the roads were quite deserted. I spent the morning getting things done for Luss and Arrochar – preparing an order of service for printing, creating the music files for Arrochar – and soon it was time to set off for Luss. Rachel drove, Rowan slept but Mix was very restless. Still it was a good journey and we arrived in good time for the rehearsal for Patricia and James’ wedding tomorrow. While I completed the rehearsal Rachel went down to Balloch to collect a Chinese meal which we enjoyed in the Manse. It was strange to be here!
Tuesday 15th. October, 2013 -- Canterbury Tales
Canterbury Cathedral
Up early to attend morning prayers at the cathedral at 7.30 a.m. and then went on with Kevin to St. John’s Chapel in the cathedral for the morning communion service. I enjoyed both and realised again how much I would like to have spent time in a religious community where everything is based around the daily times of worship. Back in Italy, forty years ago, I spent time in a Benedictine monastery and developed a hankering which has never quite left me.
Where morning prayers were held
We breakfasted in the cathedral dining room – this was a really splendid breakfast: bacon, egg, hash-brown, sausage, tomato, black pudding and all washed down with orange juice and black coffee.
We met in the cathedral board room and took forward our remit to work towards the creation of a European Chapter of the Green Pilgrimage Network. We learned of other pilgrimage places within our area who are anxious to become part of the network and we started planning towards a full chapter meeting in a about a year’s time. In the meantime there is much to do and this will include promotional work within our different areas.
The meeting broke up in mid afternoon – we had been served a sandwich lunch and then we had a look around the cathedral before Chris, Kevin and I caught a train back to London.
King’s Cross Station
I had time in hand so I walked along Tottenham Court Road and down Oxford Street before returning to the station and catching the train at 7 p.m. It was an uneventful journey and the train arrived on time a little after half past ten. Rachel met me and we drove back to Mount Pleasant through quite a bit of fog. I walked Mix, had another snack, and was glad to get to bed.
Monday 14th. October, 2013 – Back to Berwick for another Adventure
The Market Square in Canterbury
Up early this morning to walk Mix, have a shower and be driven to Berwick in time to catch the 9.11 train to London. This train was an ‘East Coast’ and compared to last week’s ‘Cross Country’ felt extremely old. One had to open the window and lean out to open the carriage door. It was also less well cared for. Last week, every hour or so someone came along collecting rubbish (mostly generated by the very welcome refreshment cart); this week there was no such collection and refuse gradually built up as the journey progressed. Interestingly, the food on the trolley was more expensive as well -- £5 .25p for a BLT sandwich and Fanta as compared to £4 .95p. On such differences are reputations built.
The train was twenty minutes late (point failure at Peterborough -- I feel like Reggie Perrin) but I still had plenty of time to walk from King’s Cross to St. Pancras Station which is the height of luxury and more like an airport terminal than one’s everyday station – shops, restaurants and wide boulevards.
St. Pancras Station
I recollected that many years ago my father’s first job was in an office within the wonderful frontage of St. Pancras. My father started in the property and land department of the railway company which was based here and if it hadn’t been for the war then this might have been his base for many years.
The train from St. Pancras deposited me in Canterbury in the middle of the afternoon. I navigated to the cathedral using the tower as my guide – it was only ten minutes walk through the little streets and alleys of the medieval city. The picture at the top of this entry shows the city square. This picture is of the entrance to the cathedral:
The entrance to the Cathedral
I was surprised to discover that it cost £9 .50p to enter the cathedral precincts as a visitor. As one who was expected I didn’t have to pay but it is quite a hefty charge for a family to have to pay to visit church (of course, no one has to pay if they are going in to the cathedral for a service).
I checked in and as I was a bit early I went for a wander around the town. I saw one of the city gates:
One of the city gates
I also bought fish and chips which I ate leaning over this little bridge:
In the centre of Canterbury
Back at the cathedral conference centre I met up with my colleagues – Alison from the Green Pilgrimage Network, Berit from Norway, Per from Sweden, Chris – a very distinguished environmentalist from England, and Kevin from St. Albans. We were hosted by Caroline from Canterbury.
After sorting out our accommodation we went into the cathedral to share in a service of Choral Evensong led by a choir of twenty boys and twelve men. It was a very lovely service. We were then taken for a very superb meal in the cathedral dining room, beautifully served and an excellent meal: salmon and vegetables, followed by a desert and washed down with wine and coffee.
In the evening we all went out to one of the old public houses and enjoyed a couple of beers and incidentally got much of the work done for tomorrow while we sat with our beers!
Walked back and I caught this picture of the flood-lighting on the walls of the cathedral:
The Cathedral by Night
Was soon fast asleep.
Sunday 13th. October, 2013 – A Rural Sunday (mostly) in Gavinton
The view from the bathroom window in the Farmhouse caught my eye.
A lovely sunny Sunday morning and the wind which has been quite ferocious over recent days has disappeared. I walked Mix – there was hardly any traffic on the roads; showered and breakfasted before going with Mum and Rachel to Gavinton Church for the Harvest Festival Service which I enjoyed. Helen, the session clerk and, I believe, the presbytery clerk, spoke about practical help for those in poverty overseas and used as an example of practical help a Heath-Robinson (I don’t mean that in any derogatory way) fish farm created out of netting, bamboo poles and four empty plastic lemonade bottles. Ann, the minister, spoke about choices between eating and heating being faced in our own country. At harvest we share what we have – food and faith. It was good.
After Church we went for coffee and visited the flower festival (which was in the Church). The theme was creation – I loved this depiction of God creating human beings:
The final work of the sixth day – the creation of humanity
In the afternoon I opened my first box and started on my room. However, Tom arrived soon afterwards and set about installing our washing machine – or at least, altering the unit to allow it to fit.
Tradesmen at work
Once this was completed I set off for a walk with Mix, taking advantage of the quiet Sunday roads to walk to Fogo and back – a distance of a little over five miles. Fogo has a beautiful little church which evidently traces its history back to the eleventh century. There is a service there every third Sunday of the month. I’d love to go next week but already I feel quite committed to Gavinton.
Back home we dined early so that Mum and I could go to the Songs of Praise Service to mark the end of the flower festival. Another good service and good hymns as well. The Church was a riot of colour:
One of the colourful displays
After the service we drove back to Mount Pleasant and I got ready to go to Canterbury tomorrow. At nine we watched Downton Abbey after which I walked Mix before retiring to bed. I’m looking forward to next Sunday already.
Saturday 12th. October, 2013 -- Our Quiet Rural Idyll
Sunday, October 13, 2013, 12:24 PM
Working on the fields opposite the Granary
The roads are very quiet on a Saturday morning so Mix and I walked along to the neighbouring farm on the Kelso Road. We admired the farm with its stock of hay and lots of pens for sheep. We looked at the ten little cottages presumably for farm workers (with what had obviously been the three outside privies) and the two new detached houses which didn’t look as anyone had as yet moved in, and we wandered down the quiet road towards Fogo.
Back home we breakfasted and then we waited for the delivery from Curry’s which arrived on time and they delivered our new washing/drying machine and our slim-line deep freeze. The washing machine didn’t quite fit – so much for them all being the same height and we had to send for Tom who was busy building a goat house for his herd of four goats – their latest acquisition. Ah, this rural life! We really are very rural here, far more rural than anywhere I have lived before. All around us are fields which are being cultivated – most of the traffic on the roads is gigantic tractors and farm implements, the purposes of some of which I can only guess. The farm workers work hard – they are in the fields as soon as it gets light and are often still hard at it long after it has got dark. Today is Saturday but that made no difference: when I walked Mix at 5 p.m. two tractors (you can see them in the picture) were still hard at work in the field across the road from where we live. We got a friendly wave from one of the drivers and it made me feel at home.
We have got the television fitted up in the bedroom now. The aerial is directed towards Berwick so we get English television upstairs and Scottish television downstairs – that way we will get every opinion on the referendum!
After a chicken dinner (with garlic bread), we retired to the Granary where we watched the Young Montalbano before bed. It had been a lovely day.
Friday 11th. October, 2013 -- A Day of Getting Sorted Out
Mount Pleasant from Bramble Avenue
Up and walked the dog before enjoying breakfast of bacon and egg in the farmhouse. (Walked down the road to Swinton and then turned off along a track between two fields – we call it Bramble Avenue because of the Bramble bushes there. Took a picture from a long way away of the farmhouse.) Tom arrived to erect our freeview digital television aerial and take a lead in through the bedroom window for the small television we are fitting up there. Tom has the tool for every occasion and I can see that if I am going to try to do things for myself here that the first requirement will be a set of tools. The task continued into the afternoon and involved a trip into Duns to purchase (from Howard’s Electrical Supplies) a metal pole on which to erect the aerial.
Later in the afternoon I walked Mix and then Rachel and I went into Duns to get forms to sign on at the local medical practice. We also went into Pearson’s and bought some fuel for the stove in the Granary. After a magnificent meal in the farmhouse (which included some of the cake given to us by Arrochar Church) we came back to a very warm Granary and watched an episode of Lewis – at least, Rachel watched the episode. I realised once it had finished that I hadn’t a clue who had done what to whom – but I had enjoyed the doze in the warmth on the sofa. And so, after a brief walk around the policies with the dog, to bed.
Thursday 10th. October, 2013 -- Back to Berwick
Friday, October 11, 2013, 12:37 PM
Rainbow over Mount Pleasant this morning
This morning I rose and walked Mix before settling down to do some chores for Luss and Arrochar. I prepared a draft Order of Service (because I have a file with the words of all of the hymns on it). I prepared music files of the hymns for Arrochar and started transferring files to Mike so that he can take over. This has been delayed because my email account (operated through my mother’s internet because we won’t have a telephone or internet until the 23rd. of October) has not been functioning as it should. Andy, however, has managed to get it all working again.
In the early afternoon, measurements having been taken, we returned with Mum to Berwick and visited Curry’s where Simon was awaiting us. We bought a new washing machine with a tumble dryer included. It cost rather more than we had intended to spend but we are getting the Granary ready for the rest of our lives. We bought a slim-line freezer and also a small flat television for our bedroom. There will be no further purchases for a long time to come but we should now at least begin to get sorted out. Back home I walked the dog.
I started trying to get a bit organised in the short while before dinner and then after a lovely meal with the whole family in the farm house, Rachel and I watched an old episode of Spooks on television. The News and Newsnight followed and then it was time for bed.
Wednesday 9th. October, 2013 -- Travelling Home
The View from my Bristol Bedroom
After breakfast David drove me through Bristol back to the railway station for my journey back to Berwick. On the way I again grabbed a few pictures from the car window.
There is lots of graffiti in Bristol which I learned is the home of Banksy, a famous and apparently unrevealed graffiti artist. This has encouraged other artists and many buildings are now painted as the one in the picture:
I loved seeing the old buildings as we drove past.
This is the site of the old market.
Soon we were at the station where, without any fuss at all, I caught my train and enjoyed the five-hour trip back to Berwick. I had the double seat to myself except for a brief period when I was joined by a lady journeying to see her daughter. She told me of all of her holidays cruising. I put her down as someone with a great deal of money until she told me that she and her husband were retired and had their names down for all kinds of last minute offers. They had recently sailed the Atlantic to New York (and flown home again) all for £400. Decided to explore those possibilities when I get my own telephone and internet connection later in the month.
Rachel was waiting for me when I arrived in Berwick and we went off to Curry’s to see about a washing machine with a built-in tumble dryer (our kitchen is very small) and a small upright freezer which we might squeeze in. Found another very helpful and knowledgeable assistant (Simon) who helped us and we set off for home to do some measuring.
Enjoyed a meal with Olive, Digger and Mum after walking Mix and soon it was time for bed. Who would have thought that sitting in a train reading a book could be so tiring. (By coincidence I discovered that the book I was reading ‘Pure’ was written by an author from Bristol, Andrew Miller.)
Tuesday 8th. October, 2013 -- Setting off for Bristol
Rachel seeing me off at Berwick Station
After walking the dog and showering, I set off for Berwick Station for a five hour train journey to Bristol. I had never been to Bristol so it was all quite exciting. The train took me through Newcastle, Durham, York, Leeds, Birmingham and Cheltenham and I arrived at Bristol in the mid afternoon. The train run by Cross Country was, I overheard one gentleman remark to his wife, ‘a superior one’. Well, it was certainly very comfortable. I had a booked seat and it was waiting for me on my embarkation. I noticed that many folk got on to the train and didn’t look at all to see if the seat they sat on was booked or not. Other people examined the signage in great detail to make sure that they were doing what was correct. The folk who didn’t bother were often the ones who then got quite annoyed when the rightful ‘owner’ of the seat arrived!
At the station in Bristol I was met by David, a friend from University days at St. Andrews.
The Station at Bristol Temple Meads
The name of the station comes from the Church of the Knights Templar – mead is a word for fields. David drove me to his home.
We drove under the Brunel Bridge ...
... and saw the ‘new’ cut which was dug by prisoners of war during the Napoleonic war. The tide was obviously right out! (These photos were grabbed through the window of David’s car and I know they leave a little to be desired as photographs.)
I was welcomed to David and Diana’s home and, after something to eat and a walk around the area to get my bearings, we set off for the evening meeting of the Bristol Anglo-Italian Circle held in the British Aerospace Workers Association building. I enjoyed meeting all of the members and spoke (and showed pictures) of my time in Genoa as minister between the years of 1971 and 1976. Back home at David’s, we dined and then I retired to bed in a lovely room in their three-floored terrace house. It had been another good day.
Monday 7th. October, 2013 -- A Day of Gate-Building
Monday, October 7, 2013, 07:09 PM
A gate waiting to be hung
Up and walked Mix and then back to the Granary where Tom arrived around nine. With Tom taking the lead, we erected the new farm gate to keep the dogs in the courtyard and then dismantled the small gate and Tom re-hung it with a spring to keep it closed. This all took a lot longer than it takes to write and was a real precision task – thank goodness for Tom!
We have a gate
In the afternoon I went up to Duns to visit the bank and to do a little shopping. I’d hoped to get onto my emails through my mother’s account but the system didn’t appear to be working so things will have to wait until service is resumed. I fitted up my Mum’s digital picture frame so that she can relive past holidays and then I worked in the study on a talk that I am to give in Bristol tomorrow evening. Walked Mix and soon it was time to eat again. Retirement does have its advantages!
While walking Mix (with Rachel and Rowan) watched two tractors driving along in tandem – one had a huge device for gathering potatoes and then it had a conveyor belt which delivered them into the truck being pulled by its neighbour tractor. It was all very efficient and brought back memories of the days when we got two weeks of holiday from school in Dundee so that we could gather tatties. I have many happy memories of those days – but it was very hard work.
Rachel and Tom – Experts at Work
Dined in the farmhouse and then retired to the Granary to get everything ready for my trip to Bristol tomorrow. I have never been to Bristol before so it will all be rather exciting.
Sunday 6th. October, 2013 -- My First Retirement Sunday
Mum and Rachel outside Gavinton Church
Up and walked the dog and then had breakfast in the farmhouse before setting off with Mum and Rachel to Gavinton Church (just four minutes up the road and recommended by Tom and Dorothy). We were made very welcome and I loved the service conducted by the minister Ann Inglis and based on the lectionary readings for today: “We have Mums and Grandmums – we need more Timothys.”
Joined the congregation for coffee in the small hall beside the Church and learned that we are probably not in Gavinton parish (the boundary seems to run down the middle of the road which passes our door and we are on the other side). But we are welcome nonetheless!
Outside the Church Hall
Back home Tom and I got the television set we had bought assembled and fitted on to the wall. Just before two the Sky engineer arrived and by half past two we had television again. I walked Mix and watched television (!) before doing some tidying in the study – I still haven’t started opening boxes – and then we all dined together in the farmhouse (toad in the hole – my favourite).
Everyone came across to the Granary to watch Downton Abbey on our new television set and afterwards it wasn’t long before we went to bed. A really lovely Sunday.
Saturday 5th. October, 2013 -- Weddings, as usual.
Our first couple – Louise and John
Up and started to clear up the Manse. Rachel and I had intended to start at the top of the manse and work our way downwards but there is a big event happening on Monday – a meeting of the executive of ACTS (The actions of Churches together) and so it was more important that we set about the ground floor. Everyone pitched in to help – Cathie, Rhoida, Mike, Alison, Elspeth – and by the time we left in the late afternoon the ground floor was immaculate.
The first wedding was at noon. Louise from Helensburgh to John from the United States of America, with guests from Scotland and from the United States. This was followed by the wedding of Maura and Ryan – another lovely occasion with, on this occasion, both bride and groom coming from this country, and bringing with them many guests.
Our second couple Maura and Ryan
Our third couple, David and Rhona, had travelled from Canada to be married, although Rhona is from this country and met her 'husband-to-be' at the base camp on Mount Everest. Now they live in Winnipeg where David is a surgeon.
Rhona and David
Rhona had arranged for all of her guests to arrive by boat so that they would not be at the church too early and risk arriving before the guests from the previous wedding had departed. In fact it all worked out perfectly. Everyone kept to their allotted times; all of the weddings were really happy occasions and it was a joy for me to be part of them.
Rachel was in charge of the music as usual. However, given that we will not be around in future, Rachel has been giving Carol lessons in controlling the organ. Carol sat in for two of the weddings this afternoon and is making great progress.
Carol at the organ
Once the weddings were over Rachel and I set off for Beth’s home at Muirlands where we were treated to a meal with the family. It was a special occasion on a day of special events and ever so kind. We dined in the farmhouse kitchen:
Beth, Jamie, Emma, Hannah and Katie (the arm is Rachel’s who just missed being in the picture)
After an excellent meal, Rachel and I returned to the Manse where we loaded the dogs and some bits and pieces into our vehicles and drove down to Duns, arriving around eleven at night, just in time to climb into bed.
Friday 4th. October, 2013 -- And Back to Work!
Mount Pleasant from the Swinton Road
I got up early and walked Mix along the Swinton Road – on the way back I took this picture of the Mount Pleasant Farmhouse with our Granary to the right and barns to the left. Today I had to return to Luss in order to conduct three wedding rehearsals, with the three weddings tomorrow. I’m happy to do that to help out, particularly now that Bill who was to look after these events has been taken unwell. I was on the road by about half-past eleven, arriving at Luss about 2 p.m. and then going off to Helensburgh to have a session with my physio. Back in Luss the wedding rehearsals started at five and ran through until eight, after which Rachel and I enjoyed a Chinese take-away before getting off to bed.
It seems incredibly odd to be back in Luss. In one sense I have never been away but the decisions are made by other people now and my responsibility is only to do the things that I have been asked to do to the best of my ability. Phone calls, emails, people with requests get forwarded on to other people and, after forty-three years of being the person with whom the buck stopped, that is quite a strange feeling.
Lorraine is the beadle for tomorrow but both Robbie and Mike came along to see me, and it was very good to see them both.
Thursday 3rd. October, 2013 -- My first trip across the Border
Friday, October 4, 2013, 09:54 AM
Tom and Mum on Berwick Station
Up early and walked the dog, showered and then breakfasted at eight before setting off with Mum and Tom for Berwick at 8.30 a.m. We drove just along the road and past signs announcing that now we were in England. Mum caught a train to Edinburgh where she is going to the theatre with friends (to see The Fiddler on the Roof). Tom and I went to a retail outlet where we bought a television. There are so many different televisions and we were shown them all by Chris, a very helpful assistant from Curry's who, while working, is also studying computer game design at the Open University. Chris helped us to make our choice and, as the television was not in stock, arranged for it to be delivered to the Granary on Saturday. Now Tom went off to see a friend (for a music rehearsal) and I met up with Cathy and Rachel. We had a morning coffee and then went into Home Base to work through Rachel's shopping list for the new home. Home Base had everything on the list -- pretty good! Back at Mount Pleasant we grabbed something to eat and soon afterwards Tom arrived and we mounted the wall plate for the television so that everything is in order for when the television and then the Sky engineer arrives. I then went off to the study to get things ready for the weddings I will conduct at Luss on Saturday (with rehearsals tomorrow).
Olive gave us a super meal -- vegetable soup (home-made) followed by home-made fishcakes with roast potatoes. Rachel discovered that she had lost in the removal the power cables for her laptops so panic ensued. We have made provisional arrangements for the Church music at Luss but hope to find that the cables have been left at Luss! Walked the dog and so to bed.
Wednesday 2nd. October, 2013 -- Now I'm an old hand at this Retirement Business
Thursday, October 3, 2013, 06:24 PM
Rachel's country alarm clock
Woke early with a phone call from Morag and then walked the dog before breakfast made by Digger -- sausage and French toast. Then I borrowed Mum's phone and started trying to see about a telephone and broadband for the Granary -- and a television system as well. BT have arranged that we will be connected to the telephone system on 23rd. October -- we need to have a new line installed and we will have BT internet as well. I spoke to Sky and they were keen to get us connected to their television service. I had thought that a few weeks would have to pass but no, they will be with us on Sunday afternoon. That's great except for the fact that we don't have a television so I will have to go out tomorrow and buy a television set to which the Sky can be attached. Also spoke to the Church of Scotland who told me that they have now sorted out my pension so I can look forward to being paid for my life of leisure!
Just after lunch time Tom arrived and we set off to see about a gate for the farm courtyard. We went to a farm nearby where the farmer was obviously an agent for gates -- he had hundreds of them in what had obviously been a grain storage building. He knew exactly what we required and it will arrive to him tomorrow night and be delivered to us on Friday morning. We bought all of the fittings and brought them here so that we will be ready to fit the gate soon after it is delivered. Tom then took me on a tour of the industrial estate, the garden centre and other places which he thought I would need to know about -- we met a builder and saw the local MOT garage and eventually ended up back at Tom and Dorothy's home. What a lot they have done to it and how great it looks.
Came back to Mount Pleasant and had some afternoon tea/lunch -- Olive had now returned from her two day teaching stint in Dundee. I worked in the study sorting out many of my clothes which are now hanging on rails for the first time in several weeks. Walked Mix and then we all shared in a meal -- fish pie and stewed apples and brambles with ice cream. It was superb. Sat and talked with Mum and Cathy in the lounge of the farm house before returning to the Granary for a final burst on the clothes before bed. I can get to like this retirement business!
Tuesday 1st. October, 2013 -- Retirement: Day One
Tom at Mount Pleasant
It seems that this is a busy place! I was determined not to get up this morning but Bill caught me on my mobile at 8.30 and so I got up and walked Mix -- a very pleasant walk -- and what struck me at once was that I saw no people at all while I was out. For one who has been surrounded by people for the whole of my life, that was really quite remarkable. In Luss I never walked Mix without meeting and greeting at least a couple of folk.
Back home, plans were being made for the day. I found my approach to these plans quite remarkable as well. You see normally when I have been away from my parish it has been for a snatched day or two or a brief holiday but, while days remain enormously precious, now my diary is almost empty -- so I am happy to do whatever anyone wants and I won't feel that if I haven't actually achieved something of importance that the day has been wasted.
Tom arrived and I snapped him going up the stairs with his tools. he didn't feel that the folk who were decorating Mum's new upstairs sitting room were doing the work around the sink (for her cups of tea) as well as was required. So now Tom himself is on the job. He also fixed another area of fence to prevent Mix and Rowan from setting out to explore the outside world.
My job was to drive Mum to Duns to have her hair cut. It is a tiny journey -- four minutes at the most -- and when I got back to the Granary everything was as I had left it! Rachel was unpacking boxes, Cathy was in the barns rooting about for a lawnmower to attack the back garden. Cathy and I went back into Duns to collect Mum and to have a short look around the shops and we brought back with us a snack lunch which went down very well. In the afternoon I had a short siesta (and read my book) before taking Mum back into Duns to sign on at the local medical practice. There are two practices which both share the same building. One is called the Duns practice and the other the Merse practice. Mum signed on at the Duns practice and really liked the doctor (who said that he couldn't believe that she was really ninety -- who says bedside manners are a thing of the past)? Back home I unpacked a couple of boxes to show willing, and installed a big cushion for Mix to settle down on when he is in my study. I should report that Mix is settling in very well. Even after a day his barking is stopping and he is extremely happy. With Rowan he loves to run around the garden and he has accepted this new study as his place to be.
In the evening we all went off to Scott and Sue's house at Polworth Rhodes, about a ten minute drive from here. Sue gave us a magnificent meal -- salmon followed by fruit flan with cream and ice cream, and we were regaled with all that had been happening at the recent Berwick Film Festival at which Scott had been involved. It sounds like we have come to an exciting place to live.
It was good, too, to be in a home that wasn't upside down with a removal going on!
Rachel, Mum, Scott, Sue and Cathy
Back home -- and glad to go to bed after my first day as a member of the retired generation.
Monday 30th. September, 2013 -- Our Day of Departure
Outside the Wheatsheaf at Swinton
Awoke and walked Mix and then set about dismantling my study and cramming all of the leftovers and all of the presents we have been given into our two vehicles. It just wouldn't go and we shall be back in Luss on Friday to complete the task and also to clean the house from top to bottom. (We shall also be conducting three wedding rehearsals and, on the Saturday, three weddings.) Finally, about one in the afternoon, we set off for the Borders, Mix and I in one car and Rachel, Cathy and Rowan in the other.
I arrived just after half-past three. I unloaded my car and that was it! (Rachel didn't even unload her car.) We sat and chatted with Mum and Digger (Olive was in Dundee and Fife) and then in the early evening we set off for Swinton (three miles south) and had a meal in the Wheatsheaf Hotel dining room. It was a very pleasant meal.
Back home I checked my emails to ensure that any which came in before I retired were dealt with. (I had to do this on my mother's computer because I have no internet access, no landline -- and no television.) I got a lovely message to say that Jackie Baillie had put down a motion of congratulation to me on my retirement in the Scottish Parliament. How kind!
Rachel was filled with the joys of getting boxes unpacked and the kitchen cleared. I decided that I would wait until I was properly retired and went to bed with a book.
Sunday 29th. September, 2013 -- My Last Sunday
Sunday, September 29, 2013, 06:57 PM
I tried to take this surreptitiously while folk were arriving in Arrochar Church this morning -- and, as a result, I missed one half of the church!
Up at seven and started my final Sunday by walking the dog. Back to the Manse to shower and soon it was time to set off for Arrochar. It was a lovely occasion for me -- intensely sad because I was leaving, but warm and loving and very, very kind. Tom and Dorothy had come to the service as had John and Annette Christie and so many Arrochar friends. The Sunday School had asked to make a short Christian Aid presentation. It was an impressive description of what they had done to help other people with the money they had raised at a recent coffee morning but then it turned into a thank you to Rachel and me from the Sunday School and from the congregation. Rachel was given an olive tree which she will treasure and nurture down in Duns. And there was a cake!
The Cake!
The picture was taken at an Easter morning service by the pier at Tarbet -- just another of the million or so memories bouncing around in my head. Made my way down to Luss with tears in my eyes. Everywhere was awash with cars and we had quickly run out of orders of service. It was a special service during which six new elders were ordained and admitted along with Morag (who was already an elder) to the Kirk Session. The six were Muriel, Ray, Lorraine, James, Donald and Nick. They will be an enormous addition to the Session and congregation and there will be photos of all that happened at Luss when I get them from Drew, our resident photographer!
The service ended with the Sacrament of Holy Communion -- and then, totally unexpectedly, the children of the Sunday School led by Andy, who spoke beautifully, presented me with an apple tree to remember them all by. He reminded us all that the church in Luss was not about all that we did but about each other -- and it is each other: all the folk in the pews Sunday by Sunday -- who have made our adventure so exciting and so memorable. I'll love the apple tree but I don't need anything to remember our folk by.
Across in the Centre everyone had tea or coffee and soon I had to make my way back to the Church for the wedding of Greg and Catherine, a happy affair. In the Manse we then sat and talked with folk who were still around. My friend Brian's daughter Alison had travelled from Edinburgh. Earlier Sang, now minister at Alloa, was in Church, as were Rachel's cousins Mary and Donald. Mike and June were up from the Borders and so many other people. I was also delighted to see that Will, the little baby who had endured a difficult birth and for whom we had prayed for as a congregation over the last two weeks, was this week with us in church with his parents and grand parents. And just yesterday our Session Clerk had become a great grandfather again! It was really very special. The last to leave, appropriately because they do so much for me, were Bill and Morag, May and Jessie, and Cathy. Rachel and I walked the dogs and then came home and had something to eat. We watched Downton Abbey and were glad to get to bed. Today had been a difficult day but one in which we have been shown so much love and kindness. It is a day I will never forget.
Saturday 28th. September, 2013 -- The Final Furlong
Ben Dhu and the Strone
I snatched this view of the twin peaks of Ben Dhu and the Strone as I walked Mix along the river path early this morning. I always think of the Strone as being 'my' hill because for many months I climbed up it five times a week in order to lose weight on the instructions of my doctor. (My doctor didn't instruct me to climb the Strone, you understand -- she did tell me to lose weight and this was a very successful way of achieving that.)
This morning Drew, John, Martin, Mike and I set about clearing our many of the nooks and crannies in the church and other buildings and piling almost everything we found into a skip. Everything was soon looking very much tidier and what we have kept will be much easier to find. In the afternoon I returned to my own tidying. We won't get everything done by Monday but Rachel and I will be back in the Manse next weekend for three weddings and we will get everything finally cleaned out, tidied and vacuumed at that time.
Later in the afternoon, Tom and Dorothy arrived -- I could hear the gales of laughter from downstairs and went down to join the party. Soon, with help from Mike and Lorraine, I conducted a wedding rehearsal for Greg and Catherine who will be married tomorrow and then Dorothy and Tom came with Rachel and me for a meal at the Village Rest. I had an excellent Finnan Haddie in a white sauce on a bed of mashed potatoes and surrounded by garden vegetables. It is no wonder that the Village Rest is always so busy now, with such excellent food. I was really hungry so I also had a haggis starter and followed it all up with an ice-cream desert. I'll be needing to renew my acquaintance with the Strone very soon!
After coffee in the Manse and a bit more time in the study I retired to bed. I had intended to have a really early night but it was still eleven before I got there. It had been, as my father used to say, a good day.
Friday 27th. September, 2013 -- Gathering Momentum
Saturday, September 28, 2013, 03:10 PM
Olivebank sets out on the start of her journey to Duns
Got up and walked Mix and by the time I arrived at the Manse, folk had arrived to take Olivebank off on the first stage of her journey to Duns. It took them no time at all to pull Olivebank onto the back of their truck and to set off for Helensburgh where Olivebank will stay with Simon while work is done on the trailer before she completes her journey to the Borders.
I went back into the study and worked through some of the tasks which were awaiting me -- and a number of people came to see me and to say 'good-bye'. I have been touched by how many people have wanted to say things to me. Roy popped in today and gave Rachel a horse-shoe from Rosa who has pulled the wedding carriage to so many ceremonies at the Church, and Bob popped in to say good-bye to Rachel because he had missed her earlier in the week when he came to visit. In the early afternoon we had the Luss School Harvest Service -- they had brought it forward so that I could share in it and I enjoyed being part of their service. They gave me a lovely Bible signed by every child (and member of staff) in the school. I appreciate their kindness.
Then it was back to work before it was time to change and go along to the Lodge on Loch Lomond for a bit of a party. I hadn't known what to expect. I had been told to be there just after seven but when we arrived we discovered that there were about one hundred and forty people present all gathered in the big function room at the Lodge and that the event was a full-scale dinner. As with everything the Lodge does, it was a superb evening, good food and a glorious company drawn from both congregations -- in fact I think that the total present was larger than the number in the combined congregations! Everything was chaired by Robbie with speeches by Jamie and by Robbie -- and we were showered with gifts: Rachel was given flowers, as was my mother. Rachel was given a chimnea (a very beautiful one at that) and I was given a hugely generous cheque. But it was the words which people spoke to me which pulled hardest at my heartstrings.
I was amazed at how far some people had travelled to be part of the evening. Hannah had left work at four and travelled from Carlyle where she is on placement as part of her training, Ross and Anne had travelled from deep in the wilds of Argyll, Isobel and Maggie had travelled from the east, Allan and Flora had travelled up to their caravan, Tom and Dorothy had travelled up from the Borders. And there were folk I didn't expect to see out tonight: Davina, and John MacEachern. Judy was there and there were so many children -- it was special to have Hannah, Katie and Emma who seem to have been part of everything that has happened while I have been here.
I sat at the table with my mind in a whirl. So many people so sad to see us going -- but it didn't matter how sad they were it was nothing at all compared to how sad we are to be leaving them: not to be leaving the place (through that is pretty fabulous) but to be leaving the people. All of them have become our very greatest of friends and we will miss them.
I guessed too that there was an element of confusion in amongst everyones' sadness. They knew what was going to happen to us -- we would be sitting in the garden at Mount Pleasant on the garden bench presented to us by the Guild by the chimnea in a garden environment which had never experienced the invasion of the west-coast midge, but what of them? It is natural to have misgivings but there is clearly no need. I have never seen two congregations which both individually and together wouldn't know the meaning of disharmony and which are totally united in being a Christian family with a place for everyone. Both congregations also have a very clear view of where they want to go. In Arrochar the aim is to be a village congregation serving its community. That's a massive objective, already fulfilled -- but it wasn't always the case. I remember going to see the Presbytery Clerk soon after I arrived and saying, "Well, I expect that you'll want us to start rebuilding the Church," only to get the response that the little hall was quite big enough for any congregation that Arrochar was ever likely to attract. The congregation proved them wrong -- a wonderful restoration job and a fabulous congregation which now has a thriving youth group and Guild and I am so proud of the young folk who have come through our Sunday School.
I remember, too, all that the rebirth of the congregation did for the village -- the building of the village hall, the winning of the Village of the Year award and so much more, all of which is now part of the story of Arrochar.
Luss too has a clearly worked out statement of where it is going and how it is going to achieve it. Important strands of the Church's mission here are welcoming the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come to Luss each year, the development of the church's youth project with youngsters from all around the world, from Prince's Trust teams and from secondary schools, the work with those who come here to be married -- not because of the economic importance of weddings to the community (five million pounds was a recent estimate) but because of the missionary opportunity of being alongside people from all over our country and beyond at such a crucial time in their lives, the streaming of our Sunday services to people throughout Scotland and throughout the world as well, of course, as continuing to serve the needs of our local congregation and community.
I got a lovely email today from one of the staff of Our Lady and Saint Patrick's High School. He wrote: "Being involved with you and the community of faith in Luss has enhanced my time in Our Lady and St Patrick's and has been significant in the lives of our young people and the school. We hope that this connection will continue beyond your retirement (and indeed mine in the not too distant future) as it has been too valuable for it not to."
We were also commended for all that we do for visitors here. It started with the creation of the Pilgrimage Centre (built by Jimmy and his Arrochar team) providing a heritage centre for those who come to visit but which also provides a place for local groups to meet -- the Guild, the Cinema, the Heritage Group and so much more. It went on through the building of the Luss Bridge by the Royal Engineers and the opening up of the Glebe with its pilgrimage pathways (which in turn led to the Green Pilgrimage opportunities). Now, of course, the Church -- beautifully restored in 2002 -- is equipped with a superb sound and light show which is the envy of many churches and visitor attractions much larger than ourselves. It has become fashionable to talk about the need to 'do up' the village but the Church was engaged in doing it long before anyone else!
With all of this background the Church has little to fear. The services will continue in Arrochar and Luss just as they do today, the Glebe will continue to be open for those who come in large numbers to explore, youth groups will continue to come to stay with us in the Palace -- so proudly named after Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Rothesay's visit in 2010 during which she planted the tree which sits in front of the building. The services will continue to be streamed and people will continue to be welcomed. There will be services of Sunday worship, of baptism and marriage, there will be funerals and the Manse will continue to be the hub of so many of the activities at the heart of local community life.
I am just so sorry that I will not be part of it -- so sorry that it actually hurts! But the start of our second fifteen hundred years will be years to remember. (I think that 2010 was probably the best year of my life -- all of the celebrations, the wonderful guest preachers each with something special to say, the Rossdhu Book of Hours in our care for four months, the musical events, the pilgrimages, the historical addresses -- and most of all, the fun and the friendship of a colossal adventure.)
As I sat at table I found myself thinking too of some of the folk who weren't with us because they now celebrate on a different shore being separated from us by death. Separated yes, but sometimes they feel so close. My father was so pleased that I had come here to serve and he helped me enormously during those first months of my ministry here. Eric worked so hard for Arrochar Church -- when the presbytery tried to sell it, he insisted on 'helping' by showing prospective purchasers around. Somehow they were never so keen after Eric had told them about the graveyard, about things that went bump in the night and the feelings of the community about the prospect of losing its church. Marion raised so much of the money single-handedly for the Arrochar Church knocking on every door in the village and demanding that everyone contribute! We have some good fund-raisers in Luss. Bettie (from Arrochar) and Val (and it was really good to have both of them with us tonight) made up a ferocious team in the days when they looked after the Church and the Centre together.
I found myself thinking of Margaret and Elma, of Hamish (who spear-headed the Luss Restoration), of May Lumsden and of so many more (I knew that I shouldn't have started on this reminiscing because someone always gets left out.) I also thought of Bob who came to see me this week and who worked tirelessly on our youth projects for around five happy years. Then there are all of the folk who arrived when we needed them -- Andy with his IT skills, Bill with his communication abilities, Drew who takes the best photographs and the team of folk who have made the Manse a happy place for so many: Morag and May and Jessie and Cathy and so many more besides. And Chris who looks after the Glebe.
It is a wonderful charge -- Arrochar and Luss complimenting each other perfectly -- and in Luss in particular with such a continued influx of new blood, often as a result of weddings or of the welcome which they have received when they visited. I have been fortunate not only in having two lovely congregations but also in having two special Kirk Sessions.
So many thoughts going through my mind as I sat and looked out on the assembled company. Rachel and I have been so very, very fortunate and everything we have been able to do has been made possible in very large measure by the love and kindness with which we have been surrounded. God has been very good to us.
Having shared my thoughts, here is a view from where I sat. So many friends!
The evening was brought to a close by an unexpected visit from the Minister of Glasgow Cathedral -- our mother Church. The Reverend Doctor Laurence Whitley spoke generously about the lives of our congregations and about my ministry. He saw our parishes as being a centre of excellence and his words of encouragement were greatly appreciated by everyone present.
Must just say that Robbie had an excellent evening in the chair. He was superb, and along with Jamie, who surpassed himself in his carefully crafted speech, and with the care of the staff of the Lodge on Loch Lomond, and by some great singing from Beth Street with music provided by the organist from the United Reformed Church in Helensburgh, ensured that we all had an evening to remember.
I walked home in a dream.
Thursday 26th. September, 2013 -- Catching up with all the last minute jobs!
Friday, September 27, 2013, 04:11 PM
This tree in the Remembrance Garden caught my eye
It is Thursday and I have become ever so aware of how much there is still to do. I did manage to complete the paperwork -- just as well because no sooner had I done that than the computer packed up! It seems to me that everything is closing down with me. I'll take it away and see if I can get it all working again; it surely can't be just me that isn't suffering from built in obsolescence: perhaps I am but I just haven't noticed it.
Worked on all of the paperwork and could just about manage with where I have got to at a push. It took all day and then in the evening we stopped for the final meeting of the Community Council. It is the final meeting, and not because Rachel and I are moving, but because tomorrow nominations close for the new Community Council, our four year stint is up, and I am glad to have completed it. With the benefit of hindsight is it something I would like to do again? Probably not. But four years ago someone needed to do it and no one else wanted to. There were people who needed the Community Council to speak on their behalf and it gave me satisfaction that at least we were able to do that. We were joined at the meeting by Andy, our local policeman, and by George and Robert, two of our local councillors and it was a happy meeting (as they have almost invariably been).
After the meeting I watched an episode of Doc Martin before walking Mix and going to bed. Tomorrow is another day!
Wednesday 25th. September, 2013 -- Back to School for a really happy Day
Thursday, September 26, 2013, 02:03 PM
Alison with a photograph of what the school was like when she first arrived
I awoke with much to do, and truth to tell, much of what I had hoped to do is still not done at the end of the day. After walking Mix around the glebe I started to work through the service for Arrochar on Sunday and soon afterwards Mike arrived and wanted to see around the different places at the church, centre and so on in case there was anything he needed to know for the future. Was happy to break of for a couple of hours and do that. We also planned to have a massive clear-out to the skip which is now sitting in front of the Manse.
At lunchtime Rachel and I had been invited up to Arrochar Primary School. There we were treated to a wonderful good-bye assembly by the children. Songs and memories and one, by William, I managed to get a copy of: 'My memory of you, Dane, was when you asked me to read part of the Bible at Christmas time in the Church. I was five years old. It was part of the Christmas story and it had a lovely picture of Joseph and Mary travelling on the donkey at night time. I felt really special being chosen to read. Thank you for making me feel so special.'
William's memory relates to the giant Advent Calendar with stained glass windows made by Rachel and, on the back of each door, a little Bible verse. The calendar will stay at Arrochar and I hope may be used again in the future so that it can 'tell the story' and make other children 'feel special' as well. Certainly the assembly made me feel special, and Rachel and I were given two lovely pictures chosen with great care -- one a view of Loch Lomond, the other a view of the Strone, the hill I used to trek up and down every day in an attempt to lose weight!
After the Assembly Rachel and I were given afternoon tea with cakes and we reminisced about all that Alison had achieved since she had become head teacher. I was on the selection committee which chose her and so I take special satisfaction from all that she has done! Alison showed Rachel around the school and also showed a picture of how things used to be. What a wonderful transformation -- and so many memories for me, especially of school assemblies and end of term services in the Church.
Back home, I set off for the bank to do some more sorting out of finances and then some pastoral calls before returning to the Manse and working through until seven when it was time to meet with the new elders and with Robbie and Mike in the Church to plan for the Ordination Service. Once that was done I went off to collect fish suppers for Rachel and me. We enjoyed them while watching an episode of Doc Martin then Rachel went to bed while I returned to the study to deal with more paperwork before walking Mix and retiring to bed. So much to do and so little time to do it -- how different it will soon be!
Tuesday 24th. September, 2013 -- So busy I've almost forgotten Mount Pleasant!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013, 06:45 PM
Mike, Ian and Robbie
I got up and walked the dog. Came back to the Manse and showered and it was still not eight o'clock. Got some things done before setting off for Helensburgh for my physio appointment. Came back relaxed to meet Robbie and Mike (from Luss Church) and Ian who is the interim moderator appointed by presbytery. It will be his job to look after the congregations of Luss and Arrochar after I have left and the purpose of the meeting was to sketch out some of the things which I have been doing so that Ian had some kind of an idea of what he will pick up. Early in October I expect that there will be a meeting of the two Kirk Sessions under Ian's chairmanship and they will start to make plans together. I have agreed to help with the weddings in the interim and I will be conducting all three of those scheduled for Saturday 5th. October. Mike and Robbie indicated that they would really like to have Bill appointed as their locum minister and also that they wanted services to continue the congregational participation which has been built up over the past years.
Mike set off and showed Ian around the Church and our other facilities including watching the sound and light show and admiring our Pilgrims' Palace. I set off with things to do and people to see. I also popped into the bank in Helensburgh to sort out some of the financial things I need to get in order. Back in the study I worked on the services for Sunday -- both will be very different: at Luss we are ordaining new elders and will celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion. I would have liked to have had communion at Arrochar but as the Session Clerk is away this would have been difficult. But both services will be special for me. Then, after the Luss service, there will be a wedding.
Worked well into the evening only stopping for something to eat and while we ate we watched the Young Montalbano (because when we move the recorded programmes on our Sky machine will be lost). Rachel walked Rowan and I returned to the study for a bit longer before walking Mix and falling into bed. It has been a very busy day -- but then retirement looms and, at least for a while, it may be quite different.
Monday 23rd. September, 2013 -- Monday, and things don't go quite my way!
Monday, September 23, 2013, 11:16 PM
One of the nicest cards I've ever received
I intended today to be a day of really hard work but it didn't turn out that way. I walked the dog, settled down at my desk and it wasn't long before Robbie telephoned to say that he and Mike were on their way to see me to talk about some of the arrangements for when I have left (how I hate even the words, never mind the concept). They arrived and we spend quite a while in discussions. May and Jessie arrived to count some of the cash which needs to get paid into the bank. Cathy arrived and opened the church for visitors. Bob arrived to say hello (well, I suppose it was really Good-bye). Whatever it was, it was particularly good to see Bob. He and I worked closely for several years building the glebe pathway, developing the Pilgrimage centre and making a go of the international youth programme. It's true to say that none of these things would have happened without Bob's efforts and I was touched that he made time to come and see me today. I hope that he, and others too, will come and visit us at the Granary when we have time to welcome them and show proper hospitality.My friend Peter arrived and took me for something to eat. He is off on holiday to Portugal tomorrow so will miss my final days here. I am sorry about that.
No sooner had Peter left than Rachel returned from seeing her cousin Mary from Comrie. We walked both of the dogs on the Glebe and then we went down to the Boat House at Cameron House to join our good friend Judy and her friends Janet and Roger. I say 'her friends' but I hope that they are really our friends as well. We've known Judy for many years and I was so pleased that she had come up from the Lake District to be in church yesterday and had brought Roger and Janet with her. Roger and Janet farm mushrooms and many years ago when we held a garden party in the manse grounds to raise funds for the new church organ they arrived laden with mushrooms which they sold to help our fund-raising efforts.
Roger, Janet, Judy and Rachel in the bar at the Boat House
It was Judy who gave me the card at the top of this entry. It was from Vivien, a friend of Judy's and a friend of ours who comes to Luss from time to time and who joins us regularly on lussonline. I've been given so many cards and letters over the last few days and I have appreciated every one of them -- I'll keep them and treasure them for ever -- but this one pulled a chord inside me. It is a lovely message 'Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, their world will change for ever.' You won't need me to tell you that Vivien is a doggy person and the message is powerful because it doesn't just transfer to other people but contains a universal truth as it is the antidote to the suffocating feeling of why should I try to do anything because anything I do will make such a little difference? Everything we do makes a difference for someone.
So now I am off out to take my rescue dog, Mix, for a walk before bed. It's not the day I expected but it has been a very special day.
Sunday 22nd. September, 2013 -- A Lovely Sunday
It didn't start out that way, in fact it was a really wet and nasty morning when I walked Mix along the river path. It was still wet when I arrived in Arrochar and it was raining when I stood at the door to shake hands with folk as they left the service at Luss. But none of that stopped it being a thoroughly lovely Sunday -- and it is the Sunday mornings with my folk in Arrochar and Luss that I will miss most when I retire. I enjoyed the service at Arrochar and there was a good turn out. In Luss the Church was virtually full and in both churches there was a super friendly atmosphere. At Luss we had a party of Canadian and American pilgrims who were journeying throughout Scotland spending time at the important Christian sites. After the service Bill and John told them our story and showed them our sound and light show before they were given soup and sandwiches in the Green Room by Morag and May. You can see from the picture that they had a good time.
My friends Simon and Eileen joined us in church and then, with a little help from Drew and Martin, Simon prepared Olivebank for her journey later in the week from Luss. Allan, one of our removal men, came back to Luss with his wife Stacey and his daughter Danielle, to show them around Luss -- the site of his three days of hard work last week. It was good to see them.
Stacey, Danielle, Allan and Rachel in the Manse Garden
Meanwhile some of the folk who live a bit away from Luss were planning the party for next weekend. It seems it will start on Friday and run through to Sunday afternoon. I think that what our folk do best is to party -- and, before you condemn it, remember that this is really quite a Biblical picture. 'What is Church like?' 'Well, it is a bit of a party and everyone is always welcome.'
John, Carol, Martin, Drew and May
Sorry that I caught John with his eyes closed! It was late in the afternoon before everyone left. It had been a lovely day and in the evening we watched the first episode of the new series of Downton Abbey before walking the dogs and retiring to bed.
Saturday 21st. September -- A Quiet Saturday!
The organ class in full swing -- Carol, Lindsay, Nick, Rachel and Morag -- admiring the fine sounds emanating from our organ.
Up early (well, not too early) and walked the dog. Today is one of those real treasures: a Saturday without a wedding. We did have a wedding arranged for today but serious illness in the family led to a quicker wedding nearer to home. Actually we have had three weddings cancelled within the last month, a quite unique experience -- in a couple of cases it was because the couple had decided not to get married. I suppose that it really is a blessing that they discovered that they weren't for each other before they got married -- that's a truism, everyone says it: but it really is true.
Took advantage of the day to try to work through all of the financial papers which I have relating to the Church and the different organisations with which I am involved. Discovered that many of my papers have disappeared down to Duns so things were more complicated than I imagined, but hey! in the overall scheme of things these are minor problems. I'm still celebrating in my heart about a little baby who has had a difficult birth and had to be rushed to another hospital for serious treatment and who is now making good progress. That's something important -- and praise God and be grateful for the skill of doctors and nurses, for the relief which his parents and grandparents are feeling today.
Worked through to the evening, stopping briefly for a snack with Bill and Morag who were through so that Morag could attend Rachel's organ class. Like so many things, it is not exactly as it seems. We have a wonderful organ but the keyboard is controlled by a computer, making it, I suppose, a little bit like an old fashioned pianola (you remember: a paper roll was inserted into the piano and this 'played' the keys according to a succession of holes in the roll). So the keyboards of the organ are controlled by computer leaving the operator to choose the organ stops (instruments), control the volume and the speed and turn the keyboard notation into a work of art. Rachel not only operates the organ but prepares all of the files -- the instructions for the keyboard -- and includes descants and other appropriate embellishments. But Rachel will be leaving for Duns in just a few days. The team pictured have agreed to take over the organ. To begin with Rachel will send the files by email but eventually that will be taken over in house as well.
We ate about eight and then watched the second in the series of the Young Montalbano (while the third episode was recording -- so we will be able to watch that tomorrow evening. Too much happiness!)
Realise that I have never recorded my pleasure in Durham's victory in the county championship. It really was a spectacular achievement and once I am retired I will be able to join all of the old buffers sitting watching the cricket from the pavilion and explaining to everyone that it isn't as it was in my day. They have done well.
Friday 20th. September, 2013 -- Where has everything Gone?
Mix has found the one comfy spot in the house!
Today has been one of the strangest days of my life. What's more, it has completely taken me by surprise. I haven't allowed myself to think past the removal and now that that has been successfully (?) completed, I can turn my attention to getting everything here in order so that I can leave my Churches in a good state for someone to take over.
Only nothing ever quite works out the way it should! Because I got stranded in Duns on Monday and had to stay the night there, I wasn't here to supervise the removal at Luss. As a result (and it is no-one's fault but mine) everything in the Manse has ended up in Duns. That includes the things that we intended to remain here; it includes the things we intended to go into the rubbish bin, and it includes the papers and so on I intended to work on during the next ten days. So I started the day in absolute consternation! Gradually some kind of sanity emerged. I will just have to work through the chaos! Started by walking the dog.
Then I got stuck into preparing the services for Sunday -- printing the Orders of Service, preparing the music for the organ, preparing the service itself and all of the scripts for those who share in the leading of the worship -- in fact all of those tasks which are such a part of my life but which will very soon become half remembered parts of a distant ritual. In the late morning Robbie and Mike arrived, closely followed by Neil and Jamie, to talk through who will pick up all of the different tasks which have been mine over so many years.
Soon it was time for a wedding -- that of Daniel and Katrina. The weather yesterday was shocking but today all was calm and fair and it was a splendid wedding. I enjoyed being part of it. Then it was back to work. The services to complete, weddings to sort out -- I have agreed to return to conduct the three weddings which will be held on 5th. October. It would be too big a baptism for whoever takes over from me and I will be delighted to share with these couples in their special day.
Rachel and I had a nostalgic walk around the glebe -- it really is looking good -- and then I went off to Balloch to collect a Chinese take-away. Once we had enjoyed that we watched the Young Montalbano on television (it belongs to the Church and was screwed to the wall, otherwise it would have been away as well) and then, after walking the dogs, we went to bed. It has been a day I will remember!
Thursday 19th. September, 2013 -- Back to Luss
Got taken to task by someone who reads the blog (and hasn't met me) for not putting a picture of myself on the web-site so that they can see who is writing all of this stuff. So here I am! Sixty-seven and a half-years old, retiring in eleven days time and moving from Arrochar and Luss (where I have been enormously happy) to Mount Pleasant in the Borders (where I expect to be happy as well).
Awoke on Thursday and breakfasted in the farmhouse before spending the morning starting to sort out our new home. It was bucketing with rain which made us realise just how lucky we had been over the last three days having been given a window of really good weather to complete our removal. I had the task of trying to organise our second bedroom. We have a desk and a cupboard and a small bunk-bed unit in it -- all of this is quite temporary and will be sorted out once we are back in the Borders on a more permanent basis. Rachel, meanwhile, worked in the kitchen and in the main bedroom. Around one we stopped for lunch and soon afterwards I set off for home with Mix in the back of the car. I got hopelessly lost and ended up driving through Edinburgh in the rush hour and then through Glasgow in the rush hour and arrived back in Luss about 6.15 p.m. to discover that Rachel had started the wedding rehearsal (for which I was very thankful). Once that was over we drove down to Helensburgh to spend the evening with Simon and Irene and with their friends John and Marlene from the United States. It was a lovely, relaxing evening with a glorious meal and we returned home around eleven fifteen in time to walk the dogs and go to bed. The back of the moving has now been broken and, although there are many things still to sort out, I can now see a light at the end of the tunnel (even if it is still quite dim)!
Wednesday 18th. September -- The Third Day
Ian, Malcolm, Stuart and Allan -- job done!
Awoke early in Luss and by 8 a.m. the second load of furniture was being loaded into the three removal vans which were at the Manse -- having returned the previous day from the Borders. There wasn't a huge amount to do but this was because so much had already been taken down and because a great deal of work had been done in the latter part of yesterday.
Soon after ten the vans were on their way. Rachel, Cathy, Rowan, Mix and I loaded ourselves into the car and set off about half an hour later -- Mix travelled in the back with Rachel, Rowan sat happily on Cathy's knee and was as good as gold. We had an uneventful journey arriving at Mount Pleasant around one in the afternoon. Olive had baked a cheese and bean pie (well several) and she fed the removal men first with pie and with bacon sandwiches and then she fed us. Rachel and I were on duty directing boxes here there and everywhere -- all kinds of things which weren't meant to come down here have arrived and there will need to be a sorting out and returning of bits and pieces as well as a getting of some skips for a total throw out as well. Rachel and I have downsized from our home in Wemyss with seven rooms and a Manse in Luss with seven rooms to a new home with three rooms -- fourteen to three, so clearly it doesn't go! So the last thing we needed was for some things which don't belong to us and some things which belong in the skip! The removal team -- who have been fabulous -- left for home about seven in the evening and afterwards Rachel, Cathy, Mum, Olive, Digger and I enjoyed an evening meal in the farmhouse with all of the ingredients of the meal from the small holding and chicken run itself.
Went to sleep (in a bed) after walking Mix.
Tuesday 17th. September, 2013 -- The Removal Day Two
Tuesday, September 17, 2013, 11:13 PM
Malcolm outside the door of the Granary and it is not yet eight o'clock!
Awoke early and was just coming to when I realised that four removal vans were driving in to the courtyard. I was panicking because I realised that I should have been going to my physio but it had gone out of my head when I discovered that I couldn't get back to Luss last night. I had no phone number for my physio but I got Rachel who managed to get my apologies to Lorna.
The removal team had left Luss before five to be down at Duns so early. At once they set about unloading their vans. The first problem was that the side-board which Olive and my Mum really wanted to have in their front room wouldn't go through the doors. Before nine a joiner was on site and a window had been removed.
It seemed that only five minutes later the side-board had been passed through the hole in the wall
and five minutes after that the window was back in position.
By now Tom the painter and decorator had arrived to continue work on Mum's new upstairs lounge, work was also continuing apace on emptying the removal vans and then Ianthe arrived on the back of one of Alan Galt's lorries.
I was enormously impressed by the skill with which the driver and his mate controlled the crane and manoeuvred Ianthe in the relatively confined space of a small courtyard filled with vans and cars.
It wasn't long before Ianthe was parked up by the wall in the corner which is to be her home for the next little while.
Soon afterwards I set off with Malcolm in his van for Luss. We joined the others at Costco for lunch and were back in Luss sometime before four in the afternoon. There were more boxes to be loaded and furniture to be carried out to the vans and then Simon arrived to pump out Olivebank who will also be moving from Luss within the next week or so.
Just about eight the removal team, Rachel and I, went up to the Village Rest for a lovely meal -- made the more delicious by how hungry and tired I was -- and then it was back to work once more before a final coffee, a walk around the village with Mix and a welcome collapse into bed.
I have to say what a wonderful team our removal men are. This could have been an horrendous experience but they are turning it into something quite special -- and how everyone is rallying round to help!
Monday 16th. September, 2013 -- The Three Day Removal Begins
Vans started to arrive early for the Removal Van Convention held at the Manse -- we managed five by the middle of the day!
I was up early today anxious to walk Mix before everything started to happen. I was glad that I had because the first vans arrived early -- four of them, driven by Allan and Malcolm, Ian and Stewart. Soon afterwards Sandy arrived to dismantle and collect his loom and to drive it down to the borders -- Sandy lives at Melrose and, with Rachel at Duns, they hope to do some joint projects in the coming months. Alastair -- who helped Sandy move the loom from Tarbet all those years ago, came to help with the dismantling and then it was all hands to help load the loom into the van which sandy had driven up from the borders.
Sandy with Alastair
Sandy wields a hammer while Chris looks on
Once the van was loaded I set off for the borders to help Sandy unload at the other end. Meanwhile Rachel, with help from Cathy, worked with the removal team -- Rachel took them all out for a meal at the Village Rest and everyone had a good time.
I arrived down at Duns just before 4 p.m., just a bit ahead of Sandy. Tom was waiting for me and I told him about a problem I was having with Rachel's Berlingo (which I was driving because it was filled with my clothes). It seemed that the rear off-side tyre was always just a little bit flat. Tom discovered that there was a nail in it. We thought about changing the tyre but couldn't find the tools. We even phoned the Citron dealer to ask where the Berlingo tools were installed. The dealer (in Kirkcaldy) promised to phone back but didn't. So it was decided that Tom would take the Berlingo away to get the tyre repaired and I would stay overnight and travel back to Luss with the removal men who were setting off from Luss at 5 a.m. to do a first unload before returning to Luss to pick up more items.
Sandy arrived and with help from Digger and me the loom was unloaded and then we all joined Olive and Rita (Sandy's wife) for tea in the farm kitchen. Later on we enjoyed an evening meal -- mum, Olive, Digger and me -- and after that I was happy to get my head down in the Granary. It had been an eventful day!
Sunday 15th. September, 2013 -- The Calm before the Storm
Monday, September 16, 2013, 11:45 AM
A view of Arrochar Parish Church
What a lovely day! It started at Arrochar where I conducted the ten o'clock service -- the lectionary presenting us with the fifteenth chapter of Saint Luke's Gospel, without any doubt my favourite chapter of Scripture. Having conducted that service and grabbed a cup of coffee with the church folk, we drove down to Luss for the morning service there at 11.45 a.m. After coffee in the Pilgrimage Centre and a chat with Bill and Morag about the week's activities (what would I do without them), Rachel and I spent some time packing boxes -- surely the end is in sight?
In the early evening Jonathan and Vivienne took us for a meal to the Loch Lomond Arms Hotel. It was good to have a chance to sit down in peace and chat with them both. This week has been so busy that we have been like ships that pass in the night. Back home we had a coffee before bed. Tomorrow the removal vans arrive!
Spoke to Mum on the telephone. She had been taken to Gavinton Church by Tom. The service had been conducted by the Minister, Ann Inglis, and Mum had enjoyed it very much -- particularly as it was a service of Holy Communion and because the common cup was offered to the congregation. She had found the congregation to be very welcoming and she was even given the church flowers for her new home. That's the way to win new members!
Saturday 14th. September, 2013 -- A normal Saturday at Luss!
A typical Luss Wedding scene.
It wasn't really a typical day for us because we had our usual appointment with boxes which had to be filled. But for Luss it was a fairly typical day -- a wedding in the Church (often there are two or even three) and loads of visitors who have come to explore our beautiful little village.
I got a break from 'boxing' when my friend Peter arrived for coffee -- he was actually out looking for peat for his fire but popped in for a chat as well. The wedding went well and after some more time spent working through the house I drove down to Balloch to collect a Chinese meal for Rachel and me -- and soon after eating it we went to bed.
Spoke to Mum on her telephone -- it was a new phone which she had bought today and was trying out -- now she will be wearing it out! Mum told me that she was going to one of the local churches tomorrow -- evidently there are two local churches, one in Duns and one in Gavinton. Mum has friends in both so hasn't yet decided where she will go. I suspect that we are in the parish of Gavinton so I expect that there is where I will go. I can hardly have spent the whole of my ministry extolling the virtues of the parish system and then go elsewhere! However, we will see.
Some superlative cricket results -- Durham with an incredible win over Derbyshire which takes us well clear of the top of the Championship (you'll gather that I am a member and a supporter of Durham County Cricket Club) and England with a last over victory over Australia which sets up the final decider on Monday beautifully. I do hope that game is not affected by the weather.
Friday 13th. September, 2013
After yesterday's blitz on boxes I thought that today would be easier; but I woke with my body telling my brain that it really couldn't cope with another day like yesterday. Well it was never going to be that way anyway because there were a number of duties which had to be undertaken today. I now begin to understand why they say that retiring is quite stressful -- I have to work right up to the 30th. September, but I also have to have moved out by that date and as my job (shorthand for calling) takes every minute of every day, this is really quite hard!
Today I did fill some boxes but I also conducted a funeral at Cardross Crematorium. It was the funeral of Robert Fulton who was for many years the village joiner in Arrochar. I also conducted a wedding rehearsal for tomorrow's wedding at Luss and then I had a conference meeting to discuss the moving of my boat 'Ianthe' from Bowling to the borders. Tom has been active on my behalf and Jimmy who has been working on the boat delivered some spare marine timber to the house to be taken south. It seem that Ianthe will be in the borders before I am, and Simon is also arranging for 'Olivebank' to leave the manse in the next few days -- what a lot of really super friends I have. In fact I'm getting letters all the time from people who want to tell me how they will miss us when we have gone -- and even to say that we have added to their lives while we have been here. It is quite humbling.
Bill and Morag arrived this afternoon and decided that we were both looking tired so they took us out for a meal and absolutely wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. How fortunate we are!
Meanwhile down in the borders Mum, Olive and Digger continue to get the house into some kind of order. Mum is delighted with her new upstairs lounge and even more pleased to have a telephone again. I tried to get through many times but she was always engaged. I think that speaking on the telephone is her favourite activity. I'm reminded of the old BT advert, 'It's good to talk'.
Thursday 12th. September, 2013 -- Boxes!
Boxes, boxes, everywhere -- and scarcely a place to sit!
There is little to write about today. There was to have been a wedding but the couple decided not to get married so today Rachel and I filled boxes and carried them around the house. I ended up more tired than I can ever imagine and there is still so much more to do. After twelve hours hard at it we flopped down on a vacant piece of furniture and had a snack, walked the dog and went to bed.
The glebe continues to look good -- yesterday I took this picture of the tree planted by our friend Anne in memory of her father. She has since died herself but she would be so pleased to see all of the berries on her tree. As well as the memory garden (which is getting ever larger) we have now designated a little bit of the glebe in memory of pets. It has come in response to a request and it is alongside a new pathway which will tell the story of Saint Francis, so it is really all very appropriate.
Anne's Dad's Rowan Tree
Down in the borders, Mum, Olive and Digger continue to get things in order. They have done their first large shop in Berwick and Mum now has her computer up and running. Continuing on the theme of trees, Digger harvested his plums today and Olive is looking for interesting ways of serving plums. I suggested plum crumble (served, of course, with ice cream). I include the suggestion here in the hope that when we are down next week that it may have been acted upon and that plum crumble is on the menu!
Wednesday 11th. September, 2013 -- Pilgrims from Kirkcaldy
Some of the 'over-flow' from the dining room into the lounge!
We had a lovely day in Luss today. I rose early and walked the dog and was concerned that it really was rather wet. Normally this wouldn't have mattered but today it did because today we were being visited by around forty members of the Guild of Bennochy Parish Church in Kirkcaldy. No ordinary Guild this, for Bennochy was the Guild to which my mother belonged before she set off for Mount Pleasant and, had she not just moved, then I am sure that she would have been with us today.
For newcomers to this blog, Guild visits are very much a part of the activities of Luss Parish Church. After our celebration year of 2010 we decided that we would keep the celebrations going for a little while longer by inviting Guilds from all over Scotland to come and visit. We would provide afternoon tea, show them around our Church, our Pilgrimage Centre, our Glebe Pilgrimage Walks and share with them something of our pilgrimage adventure. So many Guilds have come to join us and take advantage of this invitation that what was intended to be part of our programme for 2011 is now still going strong in 2013!
After afternoon tea at lunch time because later in the afternoon our ladies (and one gentleman) were going to dine at Bannockburn, everyone came across to the Church where we told them our story and showed them the sound and light show which seeks to tell the story of Luss Church in just seven minutes.
Some of the ladies gathered in the Church for the sound and light show -- I forgot to ask everyone to smile!
Everyone is doing better in this picture -- I must have remembered to ask everyone to smile.
After time in the church, we set off in three groups to visit the Loom Room (where Rachel demonstrated the weaving of the Luss (St. Kessog) tartan on an old, 1820 Armstrong loom), the Heritage Centre in the Pilgrimage Centre, and the Green Pilgrimage Room. We also visited the Pilgrim's Palace (home to our young folk when they stay with us) and, of course, the Glebe where we walked the Kessog pathway together, returning to the car park in time for everyone to board their bus and set off for Bannockburn where their high-tea awaited them. All my fears about the weather had been proved to be unfounded as no sooner was lunchtime past than the sun came out and everything was beautiful -- and warm as well.The sun was still shining as we waved our friends off on the next stage of their journey. It had been another good visit.
I returned to the manse where all of our helpers had coffee together after the activity of the day and then, once they had left, I retired to the study to catch up on work which had to be done, before stopping for a meal with Rachel, and with Jonathan and Vivienne who had been out for the afternoon on their sailing boat.
Down at Mount Pleasant my Mum got her new telephone-line and she is once more back on broadband: so look out world.
Tuesday 10th. September, 2013 -- Through a Glass Darkly
I was out in front of the Manse at Luss saying good-bye to Robin and Glenys who have been with us for a few days when I saw the two dogs, Rowan and Mix, looking through the window. I knew the sun was shining on the window and I knew my reflection would appear in the picture but still I thought I would snap the dogs before, seeing me, they rushed for the front door -- and I rather like the result.
Both Rowan, the little border collie puppy of around four and a half months, and Mix, the nine-year-old rescue-dog mongrel with a bit of Doberman in him, have, of course, already visited the Granary and have inspected their new home. Both seemed to be pleased with what they saw but here in this picture they are watching as Rachel and I said good-bye to Glenys and Robin whom we met last year when we were in South Africa so that I could deliver the annual Saint Columba lecture, first in Johannesburg and then at Capetown. It was a good experience and it has been good to catch up with Robin and Glenys. The real surprise for me occurred last night as I was walking with them around the village. They were talking about their niece and her husband, a dentist from Kirkcaldy, and I suddenly realised that they were talking about Donald who, many years ago when I lived in Buckhaven, was not only my dentist, but my golfing partner and a fellow member of a local Gilbert and Sullivan company in which we both sang. It really is a very small world!
Rachel (centre) with Glenys and Robin.
Before saying good-bye, I had been in Helensburgh at my physio -- what a difference she is making to my tired old body. My posture is improving and I feel so much better. After the departure of our South African friends, I dealt with some pastoral matters, answered emails, prepared services, went down to Balloch to meet Jonathan and Vivienne who have come up to Loch Lomond with their boat and who will be staying with us for a few days. Then it was off to see folk before returning to the manse to continue with work in the study.
In the evening there was a meeting with some of the congregation of Luss at which we discussed the role of an elder in the Church of Scotland and looked at the challenges and opportunities facing our congregations in the coming months and years. It was a good meeting. Rachel, meanwhile, was out searching the highways and byways of Luss, along with half the population of the village, for a missing dog (not one of ours on this occasion). There was a happy ending to the story as the dog ran by (and then into) the manse and was able to be reunited with its by now distraught owners -- and in true Biblical fashion, there was general rejoicing at the return of the lost prodigal.
Down at Mount Pleasant the work of moving-in has continued apace. Mum is now happy in her upstairs sitting room and tomorrow is the great day when she gets her new telephone-line and her broadband and will be able, once more, to be in touch with the world.
Monday 9th. September, 2013 -- Making Things Safe!
A view of the Granary back garden now securely fenced and dog-proof!
While I am up in Luss Tom has taken charge of having the back garden at the Granary securely fenced in. This means that once we get down to the Granary the dogs will be able to wander in and out of the house without any worry about them running away, getting caught on the road, or disturbing animals -- and there is clearly lots of room for them here. The photo was taken by Dorothy and sent to me by email.
Meanwhile I continued to work in Luss -- there are lots of people who have issues they think I can help with and who would like to speak with me before I retire. I started work on the services for Sunday because there will be little time later in the week and I started tackling some of the paperwork which has to be done before I retire. Of course, there were boxes to be filled as well, and so the packing marathon continues.
In the evening we went out for a meal with Robin and Glenys from South Africa -- they took us to The Stables in Alexandria and I enjoyed Cullen Skink followed by a beef burger covered in blue cheese (with ice cream and chocolate sauce to help it all down)! It was a pleasant evening. Spoke to Mum on the telephone. She is enjoying her new upstairs sitting room (and her television). A friend of Tom is coming at the weekend to see about painting her new sitting room. Things are beginning to take shape.
Sunday 8th. September, 2013 -- Another Busy Sunday!
Monday, September 9, 2013, 09:57 AM
This is a picture of one of the Churches which is in my care until the end of this month. I have actually been minister here for almost fifteen years -- and they have been happy, happy years.
Luss Church sits in the village of that name, on the banks of Loch Lomond. The tiny village welcomes around 750,000 visitors each year and the role of the Church community is to share in that welcoming and to help those who come merely as visitors to leave as pilgrims.
That isn't as fanciful as it sounds because Luss has long been a pilgrimage place. Its story goes right the way back to the year 510 when a Celtic missionary called Kessog came to Luss to bring Christianity to the people who lived on the banks of Loch Lomond. He didn't come because Loch Lomond was a beautiful place to be but because this was where three of the ancient Scots Kingdoms met and if one wanted to be a missionary this was the place to be.
As well as teaching the folk of Luss about God's love for them, Kessog set out on a number of missionary journeys, one of which saw him travel around the south of Loch Lomond, north through Callander and Comrie and away up to the north east of Scotland were he visited Elgin before making his way to Inverness (where North Kessock remains as a reminder of his journey).
In 520 Kessog was murdered by druids a mile and a half south of Luss and buried here. It is hardly surprising that Luss became a place of pilgrimage as people came to the burial place of such a great man to seek his help in reaching the ears of the Almighty. That dark age pilgrimage seems to disappear into the mists of time but it emerged again in 1314 after the battle of Bannockburn. King Robert had come to Luss to pray at the Church before the battle and had appropriated Kessog's bishop's staff to carry before his troops on the day of the battle -- he had also come because there was wood for his archers on one of the local islands. The battle was, of course, a huge success and on 18th. March, 1315 King Robert returned to Luss and gave thanks for his victory at the Church, also awarding a three-mile girth of sanctuary around the Church -- three miles in every direction (over land and water) in which people were free from the rigours of the law unless they had committed a capital crime -- in recognition of the importance of Kessog to the Scottish troops. It is little wonder that Luss became again a place of pilgrimage. In fact so many people came to Luss on pilgrimage that in 1429 Luss Church was raised to the level of a prebend of Glasgow Cathedral -- a mark of its growing importance.
Of course, pilgrimage died out at the time of the Reformation in Scotland (it reached Luss in 1562) but it quickly became clear to us that Luss today with its thousands of visitors would be not dissimilar to Luss then with its thousands of pilgrims. The only difference is that today we welcome tourists, then they welcomed pilgrims. Our task was clear -- to help present day visitors become pilgrims. How we have set about that over the last ten years is a story in itself but it is one which I will share as this diary progresses. Suffice it to say for the present that we have built a Pilgrimage Centre and designed a series of pilgrimage walks on the twenty-five acre glebe which sits behind the church and across the little river known as the Luss Water. With these facilities we welcome visitors, run an international youth project, work with local secondary schools and Prince's Trust teams, conduct weddings for couples from around the world and from the church we broadcast our Sunday services to a congregation drawn from more than fifty countries each week.
But I really set out to describe today's activities. We started with our two morning services -- first at Arrochar at 10 in the morning and then at Luss at 11.45 a.m. At Luss there are always lots of visitors; in Arrochar this is rarer although today we did have a couple who were celebrating their sixty-eighth wedding anniversary and were on holiday in the village. It was good to have them with us. After the Luss service, while everyone was having coffee in the Pilgrimage Centre, I met with couples who were planning to be married here -- four couples this week and two couples who had been married here and had come back to tell us how they were getting on (one couple bringing with them their lovely little baby).
As soon as I was finished with wedding couples I met a family for whom I will be conducting a funeral later on in the week. Together we drew up a service and we worked out the life-story which I will relate as part of the celebration of Robert's life.
As this family left a party of pilgrims from the Roman Catholic Church community in Cardross arrived. We shared in afternoon tea in the Pilgrimage Centre, went to the Church for prayers and to see the sound and light show telling the story of our Church and then we set out to the glebe to walk one of the Pilgrimage routes. The weather was far from kind and the pilgrimage journey was shorter than it would otherwise have been. But that didn't matter because our visitors will return for a full pilgrimage adventure later on.
Bill, Morag, Cathy and I got everything tidied away and as they all left Robin and Glenys from South Africa arrived at the manse. We all went off to the Village Rest for something to eat -- I had haggis followed by haddock and chips, washed down with diet coke -- and then we came back to the manse for coffee and chat.
Walked Mix and went to bed. It had been a full day and a happy one!
Saturday 7th. September, 2013 Back in the Parish with twenty-three days to go.
Saturday, September 7, 2013, 09:46 PM
Here is another view of the Granary from its garden.
I'm back in Luss and you can read that 'twenty-three days to go' in two ways, both of which are true. Twenty-three days and I will be able to start to do some of the things that I'm looking forward to doing down in Duns -- but only twenty-three more days to continue with the work which has been my life and which I love and continue to love! So no wonder I am a little confused.
This morning I prepared services for tomorrow in Arrochar and Luss. Then there was a wedding to conduct and after that I went up to Arrochar to see a couple in the congregation who are really good friends of mine. Back to the Manse to arrange a funeral for next week and then just a bit of time before a couple arrived from South Africa -- Glynis and Robin whom I met at St. Columba's Church in Johannesburg where I delivered a lecture last year. We dined with them and then, after I had walked the dog, it was time for bed.
Spoke to the family down at Mount Pleasant. Mum has decided to have a sitting room upstairs -- it's a lovely, light room and not only does it have a water supply for teas and coffees but it has a working television aerial point so she can start to catch up with 'Neighbours'. The three of them (Mum, Olive and Digger) joined Scott and Sue at the Siamese Kitchen for a Thai meal this evening. By all accounts everyone had a very enjoyable meal.
Friday 6th. September, 2013 -- 'Things that go Bump in the night'.
Friday, September 6, 2013, 11:14 PM
We all breakfasted together in the farm kitchen. I should say that by this time I had taken Mix for a very lengthy walk, had enjoyed a glorious shower and had been to the Duns Golf Course and joined! (I'd seen a web-site advertising the fact that they were having an open day tomorrow with a special rate for those who came along to join. So I contacted them and said I couldn't come tomorrow because I was still working but could I take advantage of their special offer and they said, 'Yes'.) I explained that I hadn't golfed since I lived in Fife but I think that they are desperate for members and I would love to learn to play again. The lady in the office who welcomed me -- and I did feel welcome -- was called Lorraine and she told me that pensioners day was Wednesday (it might have been Tuesday I didn't take it in as I haven't really got used to think of myself in those terms). The golf course is nine minutes drive from the Granary.
Anyway here we are around the breakfast table. Mum was extremely sleepy because she had been woken at 3.15 a.m. convinced that there was a prowler in the house. After an hour of listening and worrying she got up determined to confront the nocturnal visitor who turned out to be a cat! She hollered for Olive and Digger who evidently sleep soundly and it was some little time before they could be raised and the cat evicted from the property -- by which time Mum was ready to move back to Kirkcaldy.
We spent the rest of the morning moving in a wardrobe for Mum, setting up her computer -- broadband arrives with her new phone line next Wednesday -- and carrying furniture around. By the time we left at lunchtime Mum was almost organised.
Rachel and I drove back to Luss in my car with both dogs in time to conduct a wedding rehearsal, have something to eat, walk the dogs and retire to bed. Just now it doesn't matter which bed, all are equally comfortable and it is really good to climb in and fall asleep!
Thursday 5th. September, 2013 'Starting to Get Organised'
This isn't a very good picture -- I took it on my telephone -- but it summed up today. Mum sitting in one of her rooms in the farmhouse emptying boxes. The farmhouse is a very large house and is being shared by my sister and her husband and my mother. The ground floor centres around a large farm kitchen, a huge lounge and a bedroom, a morning room and a very attractive bathroom with all of the facilities. My mother has taken over the bedroom and morning room as her domain and although she has another bedroom upstairs she is adamant that in general she wishes to remain on the ground floor.
Upstairs there are no fewer than five bedrooms as well as a study and, of course, all of the bathroom facilities. They will all have plenty of room and there will be loads of room for visitors as well.
While Mum toiled with her boxes, Olive and Digger moved furniture, and Rachel and I met with Tom and a local handyman to arrange to have additional fencing installed in order to ensure that one part of the garden was totally secure so that Mix and Rowan could be allowed to enjoy the garden without fear of them going walk-about. The work will be done on Monday.
We also started to bring furniture into the lounge. It wasn't the carrying of the furniture which was the problem. It was the finding it first -- raking through barns until we had identified the things we were looking for. In fact it was well into the evening before we had the lounge as Rachel wanted it to be. In between times we had been on a shopping expedition to Duns -- it really is just five minutes away -- and had enjoyed an excellent meal in the farmhouse kitchen.
Afterwards we all went back to the Granary for coffee and after everyone had left I took this picture of how the lounge had ended up. Doesn't that wood-burning stove look inviting?
It was good to get down onto our futon and fall asleep.
Wednesday 4th. September, 2013 -- D-Day!
My sister has been counting down from sixty-two days (the time she sold her home and became homeless) and now the great day had arrived. Mum travelled down in the removal van with Malcolm and Allan; Olive and Digger drove from Luss, setting out in good time to be at the Borders before 2 p.m. (the hand-over time) and Rachel and I set off in our own vehicles laden down with bits and pieces (and loads of food) as well as with a dog each and arrived about quarter to three.
Mum's removal men, Allan and Malcolm, were fabulous and I would recommend them to anyone. It really didn't take them long to unload all of Mum's possessions and furniture and move her into the farmhouse -- her bit of the farmhouse is the bit you see at the right of the picture above. Meanwhile Olive and Digger started unloading their furniture from one of the barns (there are four big barns)while Rachel and I contented ourselves with unrolling a matrass and setting it out on the floor of our bedroom.
Once Mum's furniture had been dealt with Malcolm brought our grand piano from another of the barns and set it up in our lounge:
That's all the furniture we had for day one -- a grand piano and a matrass. But we were happy as pigs in muck! (which I've always thought was very impolite to pigs).
At seven our first guests arrived -- in addition to my Mum, Olive and Digger, we welcomed my brother Scott and his wife Sue; and Tom and Dorothy who live just a few moments away from Mount Pleasant. Our home -- the granary -- is the building in the photo at the head of this entry.
Here is a view from the other side:
All we had in our lounge was the grand piano but Rachel had made a lovely meal of Italian antipasto, followed by pansotti and several different sauces, followed by cheese and birthday cake (it was my sister's birthday, just to add to the celebrations) and my sister-in-law, Sue, had brought along a superb trifle. We drank German prosecco brought to us by our friend Brian when he was across recently and had a great evening. We had arrived and my mother, sister and her husband had now moved in -- and we were in the Granary and it is wonderful.
Just to tell you a bit about the Granary: there is a lovely kitchen, a very large lounge and a shower room on the ground floor and on the first floor there are two bedrooms both with their en suite facilities, one with a shower and one with a bath. Once we get them furnished I'll post pictures but that will be a little while yet. It was good to collapse onto our futon and soon I was asleep.
Tuesday 3rd. September, 2013 -- D-Day Minus One
Tuesday, September 3, 2013, 09:16 PM
Mum standing outside her home after most of her possessions have been packed and put into two large removal vans in preparation for the journey to the Borders tomorrow morning.
Today I drove across to Fife to be with my mother while the removal men moved in to pack up and take away her furniture and possessions. The removal firm is a fabulous one. It is called 'AM Moving' and is local to Fife. Of course, you can read the name in two different ways: first of all it is a description of what is going on and the second makes sense only when you know that the names of the two partners are Allan and Malcolm. Both are just great and made everything so easy for Mum. I took a picture of her with Malcolm in the kitchen. You can see the boxes behind them, filled with all the kitchen utensils -- the cupboards really are bare:
Meanwhile, next door Allan was carefully packing all of Mum's ornaments. You can see part of the bubble-wrap in the right of the picture. Nothing was too much trouble and everything was done with such care:
There was time for several cups of coffee. One of Mum's neighbours had brought in sandwiches, chocolate biscuits and a large apple tart. Eventually everything had been packed into boxes and the boxes had been packed into the two removal vans. Allan and Malcolm set off for home promising to return tomorrow morning to ensure that the final items (Mum's bed and so on) were carefully stowed before the convoy set off for the Borders.
I loaded Mum into my car and took her first down to Buckhaven to have a look at her old home -- the sun was shining and it really did look good:
and then back to Kirkcaldy to the hairdresser to ensure that she looked her best for her arrival at Mount Pleasant tomorrow morning.
I got a message from our solicitor, Grant, to say that all of our funds had been transferred to the solicitor for the sellers and so we are all set to go. Exciting? You bet -- it has been a long time coming but now we have just about got there. One more night and then we all set off for our new home. (Rachel and I will return to Luss, our home for the rest of the month, but at least we will have seen what our new home looks like and Rachel will be able to plan where everything will go.)
Monday 2nd. September, 2013 -- D-Day Minus Two
Monday, September 2, 2013, 06:47 PM
It's Monday and we become the owners of our new home on Wednesday at 2 p.m. I got confirmation from our solicitor today that all of the money was sitting in his account just waiting for him to press the button and it will transfer to the present owners. I understand that happens sometime tomorrow to enable them to complete their purchase in England.
Today we continued to put things in boxes -- well Rachel did, as I was kept busy dealing with the telephone and with all kinds of people who needed to speak to me. We managed to get my mother's telephone transferred to the new house and my sister and her husband also have a telephone line; we shall make do with our mobiles until we get settled.
The picture at the top of this entry is of the farm complex from a distance. In front you see the farmhouse itself where my mother, my sister and my brother-in-law will live. The building to the right (you only see the end of it) is our granary. That's what it is, a former granary now converted into a lovely little house just right for the two of us. Mind you, we also have the rest of the barns which will be used for storage (although we have some grandiose plans as well). The small-holding area is behind the barns and belongs to Olive's husband -- he has promised us that we won't have to buy vegetables ever again: we'll see.
Back in Luss I am still coping with the good-byes. Not just the good-byes to folk I know but also through the newspapers. The Lennox Herald printed a kind good-bye to me. I quote it here:
Luss minister Rev Dane Sherrard announces retirement
Aug 30 2013 by Jenny Foulds, Lennox Herald
A popular minister — who has married more than 1,000 couples at his quaint church — has announced his retirement.
Rev Dane Sherrard will conduct his last service at Luss Parish Church at the end of next month after 42 years as a Church of Scotland minister and nearly 15 years leading the congregations of Luss and Arrochar.
The 67-year-old told the Lennox Herald of his joy at being part of the community — which he calls the best days of his life — and sadness at leaving it all behind for a new life in the Scottish Borders.
Speaking from his home before announcing his retirement to his congregations on Sunday, he said: “I am going to write a letter and give it to each person in the church because I won’t be able to stand up and talk about it — this has been my life and it will be difficult to leave behind.
“It has been an adventure and if there was any way of me not having to retire, I would do it.
“However, we are moving to a farm steading with my mother and sister and I need to pay the sum required now to buy the property which means I have to retire.
“I am going to miss many, many aspects of life at Luss. The weddings have been very special and every day I get messages from the people I have married.”
He added with a smile: “But I am not going to miss brides who are late. Last year, I spent the equivalent of two working weeks waiting for them to arrive.”
Now he fears what the future may hold for Luss and the businesses which rely on weddings at the church as he predicts these nuptials in the village may come to an end once he leaves.
He said: “The new minister will take on the congregations of Luss, Arrochar and Kilmaronock which is a big task and means a lot of things are going to have to stop.
“I doubt it will be possible for a minister to look after another church and conduct weddings. If that disappears I will be sorry.
“I am also sorry for the local businesses which will lose out. People come here from all over the world.
“This afternoon, half of the visitors at a wedding I conducted were from Greece and they will stay for a few nights, eat at the local restaurants, go for a ride on the seaplane and go home with souvenirs, wearing their kilts.
“I know that’s not church business but the task of the church is to help to create the kingdom of God where it is and that’s all about people having jobs and in a rural economy, that is desperately important.”
As well as the weddings, Dane has been an influential and integral part of the community, helping to shape Luss as a tourist and pilgrimage destination. The story began on a rare day trip to Inveraray in 1998, whilst a busy minister in Bishopbriggs.
The outing changed his and wife Rachel’s life forever. The couple made a stop in Arrochar and Dane was drawn to the once dilapidated parish church.
He said: “The closer we got to the church, the more run down it was until we were able to see holes the size of footballs in the windows.
“The pews were piled on top of each other and the organ was covered in a plastic bag.
“We bumped into a woman walking her dog and she mentioned there wasn’t a minister at the church and the presbytery was considering knocking the church down.
“When we got into the car, Rachel said, ‘we will be here by Christmas won’t we?’”
Dane took up his post months later and never looked back.
He reflected: “I have seen an enormous amount of change I have been lucky to be part of. It has been wonderful here.”
Dane has helped put Luss on the world map and, amongst other projects, he shaped the celebrations in 2010 for the 1,500 year anniversary to mark St Kessog bringing Christianity to Luss and has welcomed thousands of pilgrims from across the world.
He also set up an internet broadcasting service at the church allowing people from across the globe tune into Sunday services.
Now he is looking forward to taking a back seat and intends to write a book as well as indulging in his love of sport and opera.
He added: “I am going to watch cricket. I’m a member of Durham Cricket Club so it’s no accident we are moving closer!
“I hope to do some sailing and I am a Gilbert and Sullivan fanatic too so hope to find more time for that."
The Sunday Post concentrated more on the future of weddings at Luss:
Threat to weddings on the bonnie banks
BY BILL GIBB, 1 SEPTEMBER 2013
Reverend Dane Sherrard, of Luss Church, who is about to retire. He fears for the future of the church, as there are fewer vicars nowadays.
More than 100 couples a year tie the knot at scenic Luss Parish Church on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
Celebrity marriages in the past have included Deal Or No Deal presenter Noel Edmonds, Scots supermodel Kirsty Hume and former STV presenter Sarah Heaney.
But the retirement of the parish minister may pose a threat to the future of weddings at the scenic kirk.
Pension rules mean Rev Dane Sherrard, 67, is having to quit his job at the end of this month.
He fears a shortage of ministers will mean his successor will have to take on an extra parish, slashing the time available for marriage ceremonies at Scotland’s most popular wedding venue.
“I’ve had two churches to look after — Arrochar and Luss,” said Rev Sherrard.
“If they are linked to a church in another parish then that’s going to make it very difficult for the weddings to continue.
“I would certainly be very sad about that.
“When I came here we were only allowed to marry people who came from the parish. But so many people from all over wanted to wed here we persuaded the Presbytery.
“Now it’s not unusual to have three weddings a day and 40% of the parties come from abroad.”
Such is the scenic beauty, two years ago Rev Sherrard banned “cuckoo” newlyweds who were disrupting ceremonies by showing up outside to have their wedding photos taken.
The village, formerly location for STV’s Take The High Road, attracts 750,000 visitors a year.
“The economic impact of the things the church does, in terms of welcoming visitors and pilgrimage as well as weddings, runs into millions of pounds,” said Rev Sherrard.
“All of the accommodation in the village and round about is involved in big weddings, as well as restaurants, kilt hire, photographers, florists and much more.”
The church is so famous Scottish Enterprise helped fund its own TV system to broadcast weddings to viewers abroad.
People in more than 50 countries now tune in for the regular Sunday services.
“I would have been happy to carry on working, my congregation would have been happy to have me and there’s a shortage of ministers in the Church of Scotland,” added Rev Sherrard.
“But I chose to save through the pension fund and the rules are that I have to retire to get my savings.
“It will be a wrench, although I’m looking forward to the next chapter.”
Wedding photographers would be among those hard hit by any major cutback in numbers.
“The weddings have done a great deal of good for the area,” said photographer Graham Wilson, who was himself married at Luss Parish Church.
“I don’t think for one minute there will be the same number of weddings.
“A survey a few years back said the average wedding brought £34,000 to the area so there is a lot of money to be lost.
“It would be much missed.”
A Church of Scotland spokesperson said: “We are committed to providing a minister at Luss and our forward plan indicates that it may be linked with another congregation.
“It will be for the Interim Moderator to make the necessary arrangements to conduct those weddings which are currently scheduled for Luss Parish Church and to develop a policy for handling new enquiries.”
Again it was kind, but I doubt that it will endear me to the Presbytery! Both of the papers published rather nice photos of me -- I mention it here because normally Rachel says that I take a very bad photo because I haven't yet learned how to smile at a camera (when she is feeling more generous she says that it is because my beard makes me look glum)!
Anyway, Olive and Digger have arrived back at the manse where they are staying until Wednesday morning. Tomorrow I expect to drive over to my mother's to ensure that her packing goes smoothly and the next day is Wednesday. What an adventure -- but the newspaper articles got it right: I wish I was having this adventure but was still able to return to my vocation here in Arrochar and Luss; that would be to have everything and I suppose that folk are seldom so lucky as that.
Sunday 1st. September, 2013 -- D Day Minus Three
Sunday, September 1, 2013, 07:11 PM
It is Sunday the first of September, 2013 the start of a month for which I am paying the Church of Scotland £500 to be allowed to work as Parish Minister in Arrochar and Luss. Strange? Yes, of course it is -- but as you read my daily diary and get to know me better you will discover that many things are strange: but many are really good and quite exciting as well.
I suppose a word of explanation would do well as a start. I am a sixty-seven year old Church of Scotland parish minister (so I am well past my sell-by date). I have been working at Arrochar and Luss (two lovely little parishes, one on Loch Long and one on Loch Lomond, both in Argyll) for more than fourteen years. I expected to be working for longer (but that really is another story).
A year ago my sister Olive and her husband Robert (usually known in the family as Digger) decided with my mother that they would seek a home in which they could live together and the ideal place for this communal living was deemed to be the Scottish Borders, not least because my brother Scott and his wife Sue had recently moved there and Mum fancied the idea of having all her family around her. Rachel (my wife) and I were down at my brother's home, in part in preparation for their son Nicholas' wedding (to Amy). I had been told of this house which both Sue and my sister had seen and really quite liked. 'It's a farm steading,' I was told, 'or at least it is a farmhouse abutted by a former granary which has been converted into a luxury holiday home and the rest of the courtyard is surrounded by barns -- it would be just ideal for you.' It was with an open mind that I allowed my brother to take me along to have a look over the fence at this property. And that's what we did. But while we were looking over at the farmhouse, Lothian (the owner) was looking back at us. 'Would you like to come and have a proper look,' he said. And so we did. However, as we talked it became apparent that Lothian and his wife Maureen were just about to take the house off the market. It hadn't sold and they disliked the uncertainty of not knowing if the house was to be sold.
I wondered if they might be prepared to work with us on a long term deal to buy the farmhouse? We certainly weren't going to be in a position to buy his lovely property for a while but if Rachel and I went in with my sister and my mother and we all managed to sell our houses, it just might be possible. Lothian suggested that it was certainly something that they would consider.
And so the adventure began. My sister put her home on the market and we put our West Wemyss home on the market. This was a bit of a wrench because we had got our home just right for our retirement and my study was a dream study with bookcases lining every wall. But there was clearly no way that my sister and my mother could buy the house on their own and the idea of us all living together in a commune with my brother just ten minutes away was really rather exciting.
There were many moments during the year when I was convinced that our plans would come to nothing and there were moments when I thought that Lothian and Maureen would give up on us but we nursed it along and things began to happen. First my sister's home in Kirkcaldy sold and this was closely followed by the sale of our West Wemyss home. Mum's house hadn't sold but we managed to put together a financial package to make it all work. It involved me drawing down some of my lump sum from my pension, generated by my savings over the last twenty-five years. I had thought that there wouldn't be any problem in this, after all I was now well past sixty-five, but I discovered that although the government had relaxed its rules to encourage pension trustees to be flexible in allowing folk access to their pension funds the Church of Scotland had decided not to take advantage of this flexibility. If I wanted my lump sum I had no option but to retire. And so that's what I have done. There is no way that I could stand in the way of this wonderful family opportunity. My retirement is at the end of September and the Church agreed to advance me my lump sum for twenty-seven days and charged me £500 for the privilege! So that's how I come to be paying £500 to work for this month. But it will be worth it.
And in just three days we shall get the keys of this new property and my mother, my sister and her husband will move in. And, of course, we shall be there along with our two dogs -- Mix a nine-year-old rescue dog (you'll learn more about him as time goes by) and Rowan -- a sixteen week old Border Collie belonging to Rachel.
Oh, and the picture at the head of this entry, it's the entrance to Mount Pleasant. It didn't seem quite right to show you the property itself until it is ours. So watch this space.
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Copy of proposal sent from Ministry of Coal for post facto sanction of Additional Charge of Commissioner was sought - CIC took grave exception to the fact that no reply was provided; CPIO cannot absolve himself from the responsibility of replying to RTI Information regarding certified copy of the balance sheet, P/L Account etc. of Cambata Aviation Pvt. Ltd. was denied u/s 8(1)(j) - CIC cannot be a mute spectator to the pitiable conditions being faced by the employees; Provide point wise information CIC: Lt. Col. JS Brar, PIO is severely warned to exercise due caution in future in matters of RTI Act; Denial of information u/s 8(1)(j) is completely inappropriate - CIC: Provide specific and available information as sought in the RTI Application Due to clerical error, an amount of Rs. 30,000/- was withdrawn from the appellant’s bank account - CIC: PIO rendered unconditional apology for taking more than 5 days in transferring the RTI application - CIC took a lenient view & counselled the PIO CIC: ONGC to comply with the provisions of Section 6 (3) of the RTI Act & transfer the application to the Competent Authority - CIC instructed the ONGC to convene periodic seminars to educate the officials about the relevant provisions of the RTI Act Information in connection with obtaining of certificate of a student who qualified CCC examination was sought - CIC: Guide the appellant on the process to opt for guardian’s name in lieu of mother’s / father’s name in order to obtain the certificate Vijai Sharma and K V Chowdary appointed as CIC and CVC respectively Is the Mysore Police Commissioner’s office coming up without plan approval? No action taken against the illegal massage parlours or spas in Goa Are there norms about the fee a school should charge and the facilities it offers? There is only 1 primary health centre per 28 villages of UP Services of all OSDs / Consultants terminated by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai When shall the Whistleblowers Protection Act be implemented? How much respect should the order of the Supreme Court command? Can a Court disallow what an officer can permit under the RTI Act?
Can Central government authorities transfer RTI application to the State Government?
The appellant referred to a news item under the caption 'Congress attacks corrupt Anna', and filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) seeking to know if this was in the knowledge of the Prime Minister or the PMO and if yes, the action taken against Anna Hazare. His application was transferred to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT). The Public Information Officer (PIO), DoPT informed the appellant that they had no idea if the PM was aware about this particular news item and advised the appellant to approach the State Government of Maharashtra in the matter since that government had set up the Justice PB Sawant Commission to enquire into the charges against Anna Hazare. The appellant filed the first appeal stating that if the Central Government did not have the required information, they should have transferred his application to the respective State Government. The First Appellate Authority (FAA) held that as per the guidelines issued by the Department, the PIO was not obliged to transfer any RTI application to any public authority under the State Government.
During the hearing before the Central Information Commission (CIC), the appellant pointed out that the guidelines issued by the Department could not exceed or nullify the provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act which clearly mandated the PIO to transfer RTI application to another public authority to which the subject matter was more closely connected. He also submitted that he had received a response from the PIO of the PMO in which he was informed that the report sent by Sri Manish Tewari to the PM had been sent to the Secretary, DoPT to place it before the MoS, thus the Department should have some information to disclose in the matter. The respondents submitted that they did not have any information with them in recorded form about any possible action taken against Anna Hazare in this matter. The respondents also confirmed that they did not have any file or record to show how the said Commission had been set up or what the recommendations of the Commission were and if any action had been taken thereon by any authority.
View of CIC
The Commission directed the PIO, DoPT to inform the appellant if any action had been taken by the Department on the basis of the Sri Manish Tewari report forwarded to them by the PMO. The CIC also observed that there cannot be any absolute position as to whether the PIO was obliged under section 6(3) of the RTI Act to transfer the RTI application to the State Government of Maharashtra. The decision to transfer any RTI application to an authority outside the Central Government would have to depend largely on the particular case. The CIC also held that if there is anything on record to suggest that the subject matter is definitely concerned with a state public authority, there is no ban under the RTI Act in transferring the RTI application to that public authority, contrary to whatever the DoPT circular might say. But, this cannot be a rule. The Commission further noted that the DoPT has appointed a large number of PIOs and the RTI applications containing more than one item of information are being split by the RTI Cell of the Department among many of these PIOs to respond directly to the information seeker. As a result the PIO representing the individual division of the Department responds to the information seeker mechanically by stating that the information is not available or by providing only part information. The Commission directed the Secretary of the Department to revise the present arrangement and unless the RTI application contains unmanageably large number of queries, spread over the entire department, the effort must be to compile the information centrally after sourcing it from individual divisions and then to provide information to the information seeker.
Citation: Subhash Chandra Agarwal v. Department of Personnel & Training in File No. CIC/SM/A/2012/000075
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2012/CIC/772
Click here to view original RTI order of Court / Information Commission
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The SFB in Brief
Participating Departments
Speakers’ Committee
First Funding Phase
Articulations (A)
Models (B)
Competition (C)
Second Funding Phase
Project D1
Project D10
Project H
Integrated Research Training Group (IGK)
Programme Sequence
Additional Members
Summer Semester 2019
Winter Semester 2018/19
"Helden - Heroisierungen - Heroismen"
"Figurationen des Heroischen"
Press and Links
Encyclopedia "Compendium heroicum"
Online-Bibliography and Databases
Research paper "Das Heroische"
Project B7
The Hero as Disturbing Element: The Sociology of Exceptionality
Principal investigator: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Bröckling; research associate: Dr. Tobias Schlechtriemen
Period: 2012–2016 Download report as PDF
Sociology developed in the nineteenth century as an aheroic, or antiheroic, field of study. Sociologists concentrated on the investigation of social rules and regularities as well as the causes of crises and deficiencies of social order. Throughout this endeavor, it has viewed heroic figures as a kind of disturbance because of their exceptionality. The goal of this project was therefore to employ this disturbance in a productive way by 1) identifying heroic figures in sociological literature despite a dominant orientation toward order, while looking at what role these figures have played in the discipline’s development; 2) using this to sensitize sociological theories to singular and exceptional phenomena. The study therefore focused on what traces of the heroic and what kind of semantics, metaphors, and/or narratives of exceptionality can be found in the canon and self-understanding of sociology. For this purpose, early sociological texts (prior to the First World War) were analyzed according to the tension between an orientation toward order and a focus on the exceptional. Studies on the history of sociology were also compounded into a sociological theory of the exceptional. These sociological insights into the connection between order and the extraordinary became building blocks for establishing a comprehensive theoretical framework of the heroic that could be used in the SFB’s research program as a whole.
(1) Heroic Motifs in Sociological Discourse
Despite their orientation toward order and normality, the corpus of early sociological works revealed a wide variety of heroic figurations in which two main aspects emerged: 1) discussions of heroic figures, and 2) authors representing themselves as heroes. It also became clear that the heroic figures found in the corpus of texts were generally either “heroes of thought” or “great men” – two types that emerged alongside the “warrior hero” in the late eigteenth century. For instance, in his study of the history of “geniuses” in science, A. Comte describes figures who made a lasting contribution to the history of knowledge through their intellectual achievements and service to humanity (Schlechtriemen 2015a). A. Quételet, on the other hand, studies “hommes supérieurs” (superior men), which he understood primarily as heroes of thought who stand out due to their intellectual deeds. He also writes about political leaders, whom he regarded as “interpreters of the whole”, capable of “touching both the mind and the heart” (Schlechtriemen 2016a). Finally, H. Spencer uses the “great men theory” in historicism as a negative example that erroneously holds up the “heroic deeds of great men” as the motors and origins of historic change. In its place, he derived the phenomenon of great men from complex historical developments, or the “social aggregate”, of a certain generation (Schlechtriemen 2016a).
K. Marx, for his part, also identifies an “age poor in heroes and events” in his essay The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon. At the same time, however, he ascribes a heroic role to the proletariat in his writings about the history of politics. He presents the working class as the subject of history tasked with resolving the historical dialectics of class struggle. It is important to note here that Marx’s charging of the proletariat with this meaning is a collective form of heroization.
What resounds in Marx’s requiem for heroic days gone by is described much more clearly in M. Weber’s discussion of the heroic. Weber relies on heroic deeds and past virtues to critically illuminate the culture of his own day and age within the development of modern society, which he regards as tragic. Furthermore, Weber’s idea of charisma and É. Durkheim’s description of collective effervescence both center around exceptionality.
In addition to the heroes so explicitly addressed in this approach, another heroic motif could be found in the way authors of sociological works represent themselves as heroic founders of the field of sociology. Comte, for example, presents himself as a founder of a universal science, of which sociology is the highest form. A close rhetorical reading of his writing reveals that he relied on the conversio, or reverse, motif of a divine calling (Schlechtriemen 2015a). He also describes himself as a grand homme (great man) who brings comprehensive order to this new field of study. Likewise, Spencer’s heroization of himself can be found in his autobiography, where he not only makes himself the main focus according to the norms of this genre; he also ascribes such exceptional characteristics as originality and impartiality to himself. For both Comte and Spencer, presenting themselves in a heroic light is thus intended to boost their scientific reputations, which they relied on specifically to solidify their roles as founding figures of sociology.
Quetélet’s and Spencer’s works, on the other hand, demonstrate how heroic figures played only a minor role in the development of sociology in the middle and late 19th century. When heroic figures do appear, they are explained in a decentralized manner through their relation to their social environment. Quételet, for example, regards heroic figures as statistical exceptions, while Spencer emphasizes their social origin and position in history. Comte and Spencer both present themselves as heroes, also to increase their reputation and prestige as founding figures. This changed around 1900, however, as can be seen in Max Weber’s works. Instead of making themselves out to be heroes who made important scholarly achievements, sociologists began to acquire an attitude of the tragic heroism of endurance. In addition, heroism was not simply “sociologized away”, as with Quételet and Spencer; instead, it was made the subject of sociological reflection in Weber's charisma theory.
(2) Theories of Exceptionalism
Based on these studies of Comte, Quételet, Spencer, and Marx, the project group analyzed the conflict between the heroic figures and the central concepts of order in sociology. In this conflict, the hero (and other representations of extraordinariness) functions as a liminal figure that not only embodies the values and regulations of social order in a unique way, but also transgresses these as a troublemaker who disturbs the formation of sociological theories. The project group leader and assistant concentrated on this aspect, which is so essential for the study of the heroic, in a special issue of the magazine Behemoth and in their anthology Das Andere der Ordnung: Theorien des Exzeptionellen (The Other of Order: Theories of the Exceptional) (Bröckling et al. 2014; 2015). The comprehensive, programmatic introduction in the anthology focuses on extraordinary phenomena that are usually treated as exceptions, deviations, lacks, disturbances, or as white noise that diminishes into epiphenomena. It thus demonstrates how, in general, the analysis of heroization processes is concerned with determining how the interaction between heroized figures and the collective norm, or normality, functions. The focus of analysis shifts from the hero (or heroine) to the symbolic processes of drawing borders and creating meaning – processes that help to create them as heroes (Bröckling et al. 2016; Schlechtriemen 2016b).
The project group established the following conclusions: 1) a sociological, theoretical approach was developed that takes the tension between concepts of order and exceptional figures into account; 2) this approach was used to study canonical sociological works written during the founding period to determine how heroic figures are discussed; 3) because heroic figures are exceptional and often pose a special challenge to sociological approaches based on order, the group investigated an important approach to heroism; 4) these studies provided the starting point for fundamental ideas about processes of heroization; 5) these also acted as the starting point for a study of theories of exceptionality in which a potential research perspective in the social sciences and cultural studies that is sensitive to the other of order was explored.
The many different approaches to heroic figures within the SFB were also useful for this project group’s focus on exceptional phenomena. The study of heroization processes was thus instructive for the analysis of the basic socio-theoretical aspects of cultural boundaries and the contact between cultures, as well as for the analysis of dynamics such as polarization and affective charge.
Publications by the Project Group
Bröckling, U. 2016: Drohnen und Helden, in: A. Aurnhammer / U. Bröckling (eds.), Vom Weihegefäß zur Drohne: Kulturen des Heroischen und ihre Objekte (Helden – Heroisierungen – Heroismen 4), Würzburg; reworked in: Wissenschaft und Frieden, 34.2: Stadt im Konflikt – Urbane Gewalträume, 2016, pp. 48–51; also in: FIfF Kommunikation, 32.4: Cybercrime, 2015, pp. 52–55.
Bröckling, U. 2016: Maschinen handeln nicht im Heldenmodus, in: Zur Sache BW. Evangelische Kommentare zu Fragen der Zeit, Ausgabe 29.1: Helden. Brauchen wir nicht mehr. Oder?, pp. 21–25.
Bröckling, U. 2015: Heldendämmerung? Der Drohnenkrieg und die Zukunft des militärischen Heroismus, in: Behemoth A Journal on Civilization 8.2: Game Changer? On the Epistemology, Ontology, and Politics of Drones, pp. 97–107, DOI: 10.6094/behemoth.2015.8.2.871.
Bröckling, U. / Schlechtriemen, T. [et al.] 2015: Das Andere der Ordnung: Theorien des Exzeptionellen, Weilerswist.
Bröckling, U. 2015a: Negationen des Heroischen – ein typologischer Versuch, in: helden. heroes. héros. E-Journal zu Kulturen des Heroischen 3.1: Faszinosum Antiheld, pp. 9–13, DOI: 10.6094/helden.heroes.heros/2015/01/01.
Bröckling, U. / Schlechtriemen, T. [et al.] 2014: Behemoth: A Journal on Civilization 7.1: Das Andere der Ordnung, DOI: 10.6094/behemoth.2014.7.1.769.
Schlechtriemen, T. 2016a: Nur das Publikum zählt: Wie Adolphe Quételet und Herbert Spencer ‘große Männer’ erklären, in: R. G. Asch / M. Butter (eds.), Bewunderer, Verehrer, Zuschauer. Die Helden und ihr Publikum (Helden – Heroisierungen – Heroismen 2), Würzburg, pp. 179–198.
Schlechtriemen, T. 2016b: The Hero and a Thousand Actors: On the Constitution of Heroic Agency, in: helden. heroes. héros. E-Journal zu Kulturen des Heroischen 4.1: Heroes and Things – Heroisches Handeln und Dinglichkeit, pp. 17–32, DOI: 10.6094/helden.heroes.heros./2016/01/03.
Schlechtriemen, T. 2015a: Auguste Comte als ‘grosser Mann’: Zur Exzeptionalität des soziologischen Beobachters, in: M. Gamper / I. Kleeberg (eds.), Größe: Zur Medien- und Konzeptgeschichte von personaler Macht im langen 19. Jahrhundert, Zurich, pp. 153–172.
Schlechtriemen, T. 2015b: Akteursgewimmel: Hybride, Netzwerke und Existenzweisen bei Bruno Latour, in: U. Bröckling [et al.] (eds.), Das Andere der Ordnung: Theorien des Exzeptionellen, Weilerswist, pp. 149–167.
Plenum Where: FRIAS, small auditorium, Albertstr. 19
Summer party Where: Botanical garden, Schänzlestraße 1
Conference "Otiose Leisure and the Body" (organized by the CRC 1015 "Otium") When: Oct 14, 2019
Conference "Sport und das Heroische" When: Oct 17, 2019
New Release | "Girl Warriors"
Call for Papers: "Heroes, Heroizations and Heroisms in modern Iranian Culture & Historiography"
Conference | "Christ as Hero and His Heroic Following. Imitatio Christi in the Early Modern Period"
New Release | "Alexandres de leurs temps"
New E-Journal Issue: 6.2 (2018)
New Release | "Tracing the Heroic Through Gender"
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Use of Sports facilities of Sports Authority of India under Come & Play Scheme for Central Government Employees & their dependent families
0 0 Kiran Kumari Friday, June 23, 2017 Edit this post
No. 108/01/2016-17/CCSCSB
Department of Personnel & Training
Lok Nayak Bhawan, New Delhi
Dated : 21.06.2017
Subject :- Use of Sports facilities of Sports Authority of India under Come & Play Scheme in Badminton, Table Tennis & Fitness Centre for Central Government Employees & their dependent families — regarding
The Central Civil Services Cultural & Sports Board (CCSCSB) under administrative control of the Department of Personnel & Training (DOPT), a nodal agency for promotion of Cultural & Sports activities amongst the Central Government Employees in the country, had started a scheme for use of Sports facilities of Sports Authority of India under their Come & Play scheme in Badminton, Table Tennis and Fitness Centre for Central Government Employees & their dependent families members. The details of the Come & Play Scheme are available at http://www.sportsauthorityofindia.nic.in => Schemes => Come and Play-Scheme.
2.Under the scheme, the Central Government Employees & their dependent family members may use sporting facilities for Badminton, Table Tennis and Fitness Centre (excluding Sauna Facility) of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) at their rates (on monthly basis) or rates available for Central Government employees and their dependent family members, whichever is lower.
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3.On submission of monthly payment receipts (in original) of SAI to CCSCSB, the amount charged by SAI will be reimbursed after deducting the amount of Rs. 100/- (for Badminton and Table Tennis) and Rs. 200/- (for Fitness Centre), directly to their bank accounts linked with Aadhaar It may be noted that this scheme is one of indentified scheme of DOPT for DBT on boarding. The bank details (like Account number, Bank & Branch name, IFSC code & Aadhaar Number) may be furnished while submitting payment receipts for reimbursement, directly to the Secretary (CCSCSB), Room No. 361, DOPT, Lok Nayak Bhawan, New Delhi-110003.
4.All Ministries / Departments are requested to disseminate this circular for wide publicity in the Ministries / Departments and their attached & subordinate offices.
(Kulbhushan Malhotra)
Under Secretary (CCSCSB)
[post_ads_2]
Come and Play- Scheme
The Come & Play Scheme was initiated for optimum utilization of SAI sports facilities in Delhi and across the country, and primarily focussed on encouraging local sports persons in areas where SAI sports facilities/Centres are operational. While providing youth from local communities and sports enthusiasts with an opportunity to train under SAI coaches, the scheme provides yet another avenue for those not covered under regular residential/ non-residential schemes. The scheme creates yet another pool of talented sportspersons from where meritorious sportspersons can be scouted and inducted into regular residential sports promotional schemes of STC and SAG.
The Scheme was initiated at various SAI Stadium Complexes in Delhi, in phases, in May, 2011. The enthusiasm and overwhelming response for the scheme encouraged SAI to launch this Scheme at its various Regional Centres/Sub Centres/Academic Institutions/STC and SAG Centres from 1st October 2011.
The scheme is given wide publicity through press release in local media, including newspapers, TV spots and Radio jingles etc. Information/ intimation is provided to various district, block, local authorities and the District Education Officers/District Sports Officers as also Headmasters/Principals of schools/colleges in and around SAI Centres so that maximum number of trainees are made aware of the facilities available, thereby enabling them to access it better.
The trainees are provided playing arenas/non-consumable equipments like field, track, tables, mats, etc. Minimum and inescapable consumables like balls, shuttle-cocks, etc. are also provided by SAI. Trainees are, however, required to bring sports equipment like racquets, bats etc.
The Scheme has been revised as per the details given below:-
Application Form for Admission under "COME & PLAY SCHEME"
Revised tariff under Come & Play Scheme & other facilities at various SAI Stadia in Delhi
Source: www.dopt.gov.in
[http://document.ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02adm/saic.pdf]
Adventure Sports DoPT Order
Central Government Employee News and Tools: Use of Sports facilities of Sports Authority of India under Come & Play Scheme for Central Government Employees & their dependent families
Use of Sports facilities of Sports Authority of India under Come & Play Scheme in Badminton, Table Tennis & Fitness Centre for Central Government Employees & their dependent families — regarding
http://www.staffnews.in/2017/06/use-of-sports-facilities-of-sports.html
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Europa League qualifier Espanyol v Stjarnan or Levadia 25 Jul
First division Day 1 17/18 Aug
Under 21 European finals
Spain are European under 21 champions again after they won 2-1 in the final against Germany, the team they lost to two years ago! Fabián and Dani Olmo got the goals, with Armini replying for their opponents near the end. (30.06.19)
Spain's youth team fixtures:
Under 19 / Under 17
Second division play-off finals
2B play-offs: The last two promotion spots were decided this weekend, with Ponferradina and Mirandés going up after beating Hércules and Atlético Baleares respectively in their play-off finals. (30.06.19)
Mallorca are the third team to be promoted to the first division after they beat Deportivo in the play-off final. The two sides had knocked out favourites Albacete and Málaga in the semi-finals, and Depor appeared to have the edge after a 2-0 victory in the first leg. However Mallorca (who were only promoted from the regional second division B last summer) overturned the result with a 3-0 win in the Son Moix stadium to return to the top flight after a six year absence. (23.06.19)
Play-off semi-finals
Euro 2020 qualifier
Spain 3 - Sweden 0
Spain go into the summer break well on track for a place in next year’s finals after a 3-0 victory over second placed Sweden on Monday evening. The locals dominated the first half, Rodrigo having a goal ruled out for a borderline offside, and Olsen having to make a string of saves. Midway through the second half however Sergio Ramos opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Larsson handled in the area, and Morata converted a second penalty before Oyarzabal wrapped things up with his first goal for the senior side near the end. (11.06.19)
Faroe Isles 1 – Spain 4
Group table
Senior and under 21 squads
Second division – day 42
Play-offs semi-finals
The league stage of the second division came to an end this weekend, and only the play-offs for the last promotion spot remain. Osasuna and Granada were already sure of the two promotion spots, and they celebrated with wins against Oviedo and Alcorcón. Málaga, Albacete and Mallorca had already secured their places in the play-offs as well, and only one spot had to be decided this weekend, Deportivo beating Córdoba 2-0 to stay ahead of Cádiz and Oviedo, who both lost. The play-off semi-finals take place over two legs this week, with Deportivo to face Málaga, and Mallorca playing Albacete. The last of the four relegation places was also decided last weekend, Rayo Majadahonda going down with Nàstic, Córdoba and Reus, and two of the teams that will be replacing them are already known, Racing Santander and Madrid based Fuenlabrada winning their “regional group champions” promotion play-offs last weekend. Racing of course have played many seasons in the top flight, but “Fuenla” are promoted to the second division for the first time in their history. The other two sides joining them will be decided in the remaining play-offs over the next three weeks or so. (09.06.19)
Copa del Rey final
Barcelona 1 - Valencia 2
Valencia won the Spanish cup for the eighth time in their history after beating Barcelona 1-2 in the final on Saturday, a fitting end to their centenary year. The Catalans were looking to win the title for the fifth year in a row, but Piqué had to clear off the line from Rodrigo early on, and with twenty minutes gone Gameiro combined with Gabriel Paulista and Gayà on a rapid breakaway to open the scoring. Some ten minutes later Rodrigo headed the second from a fierce Carlos Soler cross, and Jaume brought off good saves from Messi and Rakitic before the break to keep his team in front. Valverde (missing the injured Luis Suárez), brought on Vidal and Malcom at half time, and Messi hit the post before pulling one back after Jaume could only push out a header from Lenglet. But Marcelino packed his defence after that, and Guedes could have added to the lead had he been able to find the target on a couple of counter-attacks near the end. (25.05.19)
First division – day 38
Heroes & Villains section: Top scorers, keepers, red & yellow cards, referees
With everything decided at the top, the matches involving Barcelona and Real Madrid were postponed to Sunday. League champions Barcelona ended their season with a 2-2 draw at Eibar, with Messi scoring twice in as many minutes to overturn Cucurella’s early opener, and De Blasis saving a point for the hosts with a strike shortly before the interval. Messi now has 50 for the season in all club competitions, and is virtually sure of his sixth European Golden Boot. Real Madrid will be glad the season is over at last though after they lost 0-2 to Betis, Loren and ex Madrid forward Jesé getting the goals after the break to hand their hosts a twelfth league defeat of current campaign, leaving them 19 points adrift of Barça, the biggest gap between the two since the league began some 90 years ago! The Catalans of course still have the Spanish cup final to come, against Valencia next Saturday. (19.05.19)
Few surprises on the last day of the league championship, with Valencia tying up the fourth and final Champions League spot after a 0-2 victory at Valladolid. Carlos Soler and Rodrigo got the goals either side of half time to take them two points clear of Getafe, who finish a respectable fifth after a 2-2 draw against Villarreal. The Madrid based side twice took the lead through Portillo and Maksimovic, but goals by Iborra and Gerard Moreno pegged them back both times. Getafe end the season just above Sevilla, who made sure of sixth place after a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao. A win would have taken the Basques above their hosts, but Ben Yedder put the locals in front just before the break. With the game coming to an end Iñigo Martínez hit the crossbar, but play went up the other end, and Munir made it two on the resulting counter-attack. That meant that Athletic even missed out on the third Europa League spot, and Espanyol took advantage to move above them on head-to-head goal difference after a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad, who were also in with a chance of overtaking their regional rivals. Rosales and China’s Wu Lei got the goals in the second half to take the Catalans back to Europe after a 12 year absence, and although they will have to enter at the qualifying stages, there were celebratory scenes at the Cornellà stadium at the end.
Disappointment though for Espanyol’s regional neighbours Girona, who confirmed their relegation to the second division after a 2-1 defeat at Alavés. Eusebio’s side needed a near-miracle to stay up, but strikes by Wakaso and Calleri ended any hope, and Portu’s goal came too late to change the result. As it happened however, even a seven goal victory wouldn’t have saved them after Celta got the point they needed in a 2-2 draw against Rayo Vallecano. An Embarba penalty and a strike by Medrán put the visitors two up, but late goals by Iago Aspas at least salvaged some pride for the Galicians. Rayo end the season at the bottom of the table after Huesca won 2-1 against Leganés to move above them in the table, ex Leganés defender Mantovani scoring a strange “hat-trick”, putting through his own net before the break, and heading both his team’s goals after the restart. Earlier in the day Levante and Atlético Madrid drew 2-2, the visitors going two down by the break through strikes by Cabaco and Roger, but coming back with ten men to save a point thanks to goals from Rodri and youngster Sergio Camello. (18.05.19)
Europa League, semi final, second leg
Spain’s last chance of having a side in a European final ended when Valencia were beaten 2-4 by Arsenal on Thursday evening. The Ches started well, and Gameiro gave them hope of overturning the 3-1 first leg defeat when he opened the scoring in the tenth minute. However Aubameyang equalised for Unai Emery's team a few minutes later, and some five minutes in to the second half Lacazette put the game beyond their reach with a second away goal. Gameiro got his second of the night after that, but Aubameyang scored two more to complete his hat-trick and take the Premier League team through to a meeting with their neighbours Chelsea in the final. (09.05.19)
Champions League, semi final, second leg
Barcelona are out of the Champions League after losing 4-0 at Liverpool! With the Catalans having a three goal lead and most players rested at the weekend, nobody expected Jurgen Klopp’s side (themselves missing key players) to win. However with only seven minutes gone Origi gave them the lead, and Allison (the same keeper who thwarted Barça last season when at Roma) made top class saves from Messi, Coutinho, Alba and Suárez. Soon after the restart though half time substitute Wijnaldum scored twice in as many minutes, and a dozy defence allowed Origi to make it four from a quickly taken Alexander-Arnold corner with ten minutes to go. For the first time in six years there will be no Spanish side in the final and, despite being on track for a second domestic double in a row, the defeat leaves coach Ernesto Valverde fighting for his job. (07.05.19)
Club World Cup Final
Real Madrid 4 - Al Ain 1
Abu Dhabi, UAE. Real Madrid are world champions for the third year in a row and the fourth time in their history after beating Al Ain 4-1 in the final! The local champions were Madrid’s surprise opponents after they won through the previous rounds, and only Sergio Ramos’s foot prevented Elshahat from scoring early on. Just a minute later though Modric put the Liga side ahead with a shot from the edge of the area, and although Caio had a strike ruled out for offside, Benzema and Bale both had chances to extend the lead before the break. With an hour on the clock Marcos Llorente made it two with a first time volley after a Kroos corner was headed clear by Ahmed, and Sergio Ramos headed a third from a Modric corner with ten minutes to go. Shiotani did get one back with a header from Caio’s long free kick, but with the game in time added on Nader deflected a wayward shot from substitute Vinicius in to his own net for the final result. (22.12.18)
Semi final: Kashima Antlers 1 - Real Madrid 3
Spain 1 - Bosnia Herzegovina 0
Spain’s hopes of reaching the Nations League finals ended when England came from behind to beat Croatia 2-1, and it will be England who go to next summer’s final four rather than Luis Enrique’s side. The coach is still building his squad however for the Euro 2020 championship, and he made nine changes for this friendly fixture against Bosnia from the team who lost to Croatia, with Mario Hermoso, Brais Méndez, Pablo Formals and Pau López all winning their first caps. The match rather vindicated UEFA’s decision to add the new competition to reduce the number of meaningless friendlies though, with little real action and multiple substitutions breaking up play. Asensio, Isco and Suso all tested Sehic before the break, and Morata missed the easiest of chances after the restart. Dzeko and Visca replied for the visitors, but the only goal came with twelve minutes to go when Méndez was in the right place to finish off after the keeper could only push out a long shot from Isco. Spain’s next match will be in March, when the Euro 2020 qualification begins. (18.11.18)
Euro 2020 qualifying draw
Croatia 3 - Spain 2
Spain lost their last group match against Croatia, and they now need England and Croatia to draw on Sunday for them to qualify for next summer’s finals. Despite scoring six against the East Europeans in the first leg, a defeat against England meant that they had to win this match to be sure of finishing top of the group. However De Gea had to push an early effort from Persisic on to the post, and Kalinic was not troubled until he tipped a long shot from Isco over the bar before the break. Some ten minutes into the second half Kramaric opened the scoring for the hosts after a poor clearance from Sergi Roberto was intercepted, and although Dani Ceballos combined with Isco to make it all square just two minutes later, Jedvaj headed in a Modric cross to restore the lead soon afterwards. Rebic and Morata both missed good chances before Sergio Ramos levelled it again from the penalty spot after Vrsaljko handled in the area, but with the game in time added on Jedvaj got the winner after De Gea could only push out a shot from Berkalo. The result means that any of the three teams could finish top of the group, and the only thing for sure is that Spain won’t finish last. (15.11.18)
Full and U21 squads
Real Madrid 2 - Atlético Madrid 4 (after extra time)
Atlético Madrid finally beat city rivals Real Madrid in a European final, Simeone’s team scoring twice in extra time in Tallinn to take their third European Super Cup title! With less than a minute on the clock they were already in front, Diego Costa heading on a long ball and holding off his markers to beat Keylor Navas from a wide angle. The Champions League winners were missing Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time, but new coach Julen Lopetegui still put out a strong line-up, and with just under half an hour gone Benzema headed in a long cross from Bale to make it all square. Early in the second half Sergio Ramos made it two from the penalty spot after Juanfran handled a Kroos corner, but Costa appeared again to equalise following a good team move. That took the game into extra time, and Saúl and Koke latched on to assists from substitutes Thomas and Vitolo to hand their neighbours their first defeat in an international final in 18 years. (15.08.18)
Barcelona 2 - Sevilla 1
Barcelona came from behind to beat Sevilla 2-1 in this season’s Spanish Super Cup, the thirteenth time they have won the tournament. For the first time ever this was played outside of Spain, the venue being Tangiers, Morocco, and also for the first time it was played over one leg rather than two. The new VAR system was also making its debut in Spanish competitions, and it only took eight minutes before it came into action, Sarabia’s opener originally ruled out for offside before the video evidence proved otherwise. Barcelona were level at the break though, Piqué turning in the rebound after Vaclik pushed a Messi free kick onto the post, and with twelve minutes to go Dembélé caught out the keeper with a long shot which went in off the crossbar. Pablo Machin’s team did have a chance to take the game into extra time when Ter Stegen gave away a late penalty on ex team-mate Aleix Vidal, but the German keeper guessed correctly and saved Ben Yedder’s spot kick. (12.08.18)
Summer transfers
The summer transfer market is in full swing, with clubs having until the end of August to complete their squads. The first job was to get the new managers on board where necessary, the most notable move being Julen Lopetegui’s appointment at Real Madrid just two days before the World Cup started after Zidane’s surprise resignation. Lopetegui though won’t be able to count on Cristiano Ronaldo, who, a little jaded at Madrid and hounded by the Spanish tax authorities, has decided to try pastures new at Juventus. The European champions have spent some of the €100 million or so that they got for Ronaldo on a new goalkeeper, Courtois, with Kepa (who was close to signing for Madrid last winter) replacing the Belgian at Chelsea. Several other players will be leaving us this summer, in particular Iniesta and Fernando Torres, who have both gone to Japan. Barcelona seem to have gone for a change of style, replacing the elegant Iniesta with bulldog Arturo Vidal, although they have also drafted in some Brazilian class in Arturo and Malcom. Atlético meanwhile have been adding to their squad with the likes of Lemar, Kalinic and Rodri, and Valencia, Sevilla, Betis and Villarreal have all been strengthening their sides as well for their European campaigns. Still over two weeks to go though until the window closes, and you can follow all the moves at the link below. (10.08.18)
2018/2019 New season transfers by club - Div 1
First division clubs
Second division clubs
Second division B groups
Summary of 2018/2019
League champions Barcelona
Spanish cup winners Valencia
Promoted to the first division Osasuna, Granada, Mallorca
Relegated to the second division A Rayo Vallecano, Huesca, Girona
Promoted to the second division A Racing Santander, Fuenlabrada, Ponferradina, Mirandés
Relegated to the second division B Reus, Nàstic, Córdoba, Rayo Majadahonda
Clubs taking part in international competitions in 2019/20 season
Champions League Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, Valencia
Europa League Getafe, Sevilla, Espanyol
European Super Cup None
Club World Cup None
Alavés - Levante
Athletic - Barcelona
Atlético - Getafe
Betis - Valladolid
Celta - R Madrid
Espanyol - Sevilla
Leganés - Osasuna
Mallorca - Eibar
Valencia - Real Soc
Villarreal - Granada
Day 1 - 18 Aug
Invest in Spain
Off-market real estate deals. We will match your investment criteria.
Need an EU base after Brexit?
Why not Spain?
Tweets by @LoveLaLiga
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SportsLinkSportsLink Jacob Thorpe
SportsLink Home
Sat., April 15, 2017, 2:21 p.m.
James Williams hoping for another big day in Spokane
The Washington State sophomore introduced himself with a big Crimson and Gray game in 2016.
Continue reading this post »
Sat., April 15, 2017, 2 p.m.
Luke Falk says Easop Winston's hands are "the best I've ever seen"
The Washington State quarterback had high praise for the new Cougars receiver.
Grant Porter talks about switching positions
Former wide receiver Grant Porter scrimmaged at cornerback for the first time.
Alex Grinch on WSU scrimmage: A million mistakes and a million opportunities
Alex Grinch says the Cougars are far from perfect, but can improve considerably.
Mike Leach sees more consistency in Cougars scrimmage
Mike Leach said both the offensive and defense played better than the last time the Cougars scrimmaged.
MONDAY, FEB. 27, 2017
Mon., Feb. 27, 2017, 8:58 a.m.
WSU seniors go out in style
Charles Callison, Ike Iroegbu and Josh Hawkinson after Washington State's Senior Day win over Washington.
Ernie Kent - How sweep it is
Ernie Kent talks to reporters after Washington State's Senior Day win over Washington.
SATURDAY, FEB. 18, 2017
Sat., Feb. 18, 2017, 6:13 p.m.
Cougars excited for Hawkinson's milestone
With 14 points and 15 rebounds on Saturday, Josh Hawkinson became the first men's basketball player at Washington State to record 54 double-doubles.
Kent proud of how Cougars responded to challenge
Ernie Kent after Washington State's win over Arizona State.
THURSDAY, FEB. 16, 2017
Thu., Feb. 16, 2017, 9:34 p.m.
Cougars talk about the importance of ending on a high note
Josh Hawkinson and Robert Franks talked about the importance of a strong finish to the 2016-17 season.
Ernie Kent calls out team after Arizona loss
Ernie Kent said the Cougars need to play with more pride and cannot keep making the same mistakes.
Wed., Feb. 1, 2017, 8:27 a.m.
WSU Signing Day HQ
Today is the first day members of the class of 2016 can sign letters of intent. Check back here to see who has signed with the Cougars.
SATURDAY, JAN. 21, 2017
Sat., Jan. 21, 2017, 4:32 p.m.
Callison, Daniels and Ireogbu talk about the CU win
All three guards played well in WSU's win over the Buffaloes.
Ernie Kent: Cougars can improve as bench comes alive
Ernie Kent talks about improved bench play and Charles Callison's big night in WSU's win over Colorado.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18, 2017
Wed., Jan. 18, 2017, 9:18 p.m.
Hawkinson: Early energy determines outcomes for the Cougars
Josh Hawkinson says WSU comes out flat way too often and that is why the Cougars struggle.
Ernie Kent: We owed the crowd better
Ernie Kent says it is unfortunate Washington State played poorly when the fans braved elements to see the Cougars play.
Kent happier with WSU's toughness in loss at Cal
After getting manhandled by Stanford the Cougars were competitive at California.
Thu., Jan. 12, 2017, 10:39 p.m.
Kent: Stanford manhandled us
Ernie Kent blames a lack of physicality and toughness for Washington State's woes in Palo Alto on Thursday.
SATURDAY, JAN. 7, 2017
Sat., Jan. 7, 2017, 7:12 p.m.
Josh Hawkinson on groin kick: 'Weirdest play I've been a part of'
Dillon Brooks was ejected after kicking Josh Hawkinson in the groin.
Wed., Jan. 4, 2017, 10:33 p.m.
Hawkinson and Iroegbu on the win over OSU
Ike Iroegbu and Josh Hawkinson talk about WSU's second straight Pac-12 win.
Kent: A lot of improvement left for the Cougars
Ernie Kent explains why he says the Cougars have not come close to reaching their potential.
SUNDAY, JAN. 1, 2017
Sun., Jan. 1, 2017, 9:19 p.m.
Flynn talks about final moments of the win over UW
Malachi Flynn breaks down the layup he made to give WSU the lead at the end of the win over UW.
Hawkinson: Always fun to win in Seattle
Josh Hawkinson grew up near the University of Washington, so he took extra relish in beating the Huskies in Seattle as a senior.
Kent: Greatness awaits Flynn
Ernie Kent had some lofty praise for Malachi Flynn after the freshman guard led WSU to a 79-74 victory over UW in Seattle.
SUNDAY, DEC. 25, 2016
Sun., Dec. 25, 2016, 8:22 p.m.
Dave Nichol: Cracraft, Marks and Thompson were leaders
Receivers coach Dave Nichol credits the leadership of seniors River Cracraft, Gabe Marks and John Thompson.
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The Armageddon Factor
No. 81 of 145 in the BBC classic series videos series
Starring: Tom Baker, Mary Tamm & John Leeson
By: Bob Baker & David Martin
Editions: UK (VHS) | Australia (VHS) | US (VHS)
Edition: UK (VHS)
When: June 1995
Format: 1 x VHS PAL
The Doctor, Romana and K-9 conclude their search for the segments that make up the powerful Key to Time.
Arriving on the planet Atrios, the Doctor and his companions become embroiled in the Atrians' seemingly endless war with their neighbouring planet of Zeos. Their ruler, the Princess Astra, has been kidnapped, leaving the deranged Marshal in sole charge of the war effort. However, the Marshal is being controlled, receiving orders from behind a strange black mirror in the command centre.
The Doctor learns that no-one on Atrios has ever seen a Zeon, and travels to Zeos in an attempt to bring the war to an end, and hopefully find the Princess Astra — who seems to be linked in some way to the Sixth Segment. He finds the planet deserted, run entirely by a huge computer, Mentalis. When the Marshal launches an all-out final attack on Zeos, Mentalis responds by activating its Armageddon Program — rather than lose the war, the computer will destroy everything.
However, a third planet hangs in space between Atrios and Zeos, shielded from their sensors. This is the lair of the Shadow. He has been waiting for the Doctor to arrive, manipulating the war to his advantage. He is willing to use the Doctor's own friends against him and he wants the Key to Time.
Although the Doctor's quest is nearly over, he begins to realise that he may lose everything. For the Shadow is a servant of the Black Guardian...
Originally transmitted 20th January - 24th February 1979.
Edition: Australia (VHS)
Edition: US (VHS)
When: September 1996
Format: 1 x VHS NTSC
(Not currently available)
Same as UK edition.
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Technology Announcement of The Promotion and Application of Green Construction(draft)
On the basis of the regulation on new technology application and administration promotion of construction field (The Construction Ministry Order No. 109), we have organized and compiled the Technology Announcement of The Promotion and Application of Green Construction (draft) (hereinafter referred to as the Technology Announcement) in order to encourage the technological innovation of the construction areas, promoting the technology progress in construction sector, realizing the green development goal in a life cycle, now announce it to the public.
Any organization or individual who has any objection to the application technology promotion of the Technology Announcement may submit opinions in writing form. The organization opinion must be stamped with the official seal and personal opinion must sign in real name, id number and contact number. The public notice period will ends on August 30.
Contact person: building energy conservation and technology department of the urban-rural construction
Anyu Telephone: 010-58933282
Annex: Technology Announcement of The Promotion and Application of Green Construction (draft)
Building Energy Conservation and Technology Department
Technology Announcement of The Promotion and Application of Green Construction
Developing green building is an important step in implementing the 13th five-year plan. Construction stage is one of the crucial links in realizing the green development during the whole life period of building, the technical innovation and building mode innovation during the construction stage is the basic support to realize the green development goals during the construction phase, and it is also the important guarantee in realizing the transformation and upgrading in construction industry.
In recent years, the administrative departments of urban and rural construction at all levels have introduced policies and standards to promote the development of green construction. Housing urban and rural development department has also carried out a large number of green construction technology demonstration projects, which has promoted the innovation research and the application of new technology in green construction, and formed a relatively mature green construction technology, obtained a certain social, economic and environmental benefits.
On this basis, in order to give full play to the radiating and leading role of demonstration project, further encourage technological innovation in construction areas, promoting the science and technology progress during the construction process, guiding the construction enterprises with technology innovation to maximize the energy, land, water and material saving, protect the environment and reduce pollution, to contribute to the development goals of realizing green building in its full life span, the departments of urban and rural construction thus organized experts to conduct a specific research on promotion and application of green constroction technology. By a year long research on the green construction technology of 30 provinces with nearly 2000 projects in the whole country, scientific and technological inovation acchievemnts of the green construction in the industry are now been summarized and a batch of green construction technology has been collected. By the evaluation of experts, compled Technology Announcement of The Promotion and Application of Green Construction ( hereinafter referred to as the Technology Announcement ) . The Technology Announcement including new technologies, new materials, new processes and new equipment that has been created and applied for many years in the industry and was in significant effect of green development. The Technology Announcement also including technology that has been used for many years and with effective construction effect, but due to the application is not as far enough, and failure to replace the traditional construction technology, which result in the disable of saving resources to the maximize and reduce the negative impact of technology on the environment. In addition, the Technology Announcement has account for a variety of factors, including the vast and complex geographical conditions and the difference of natural geographical conditions, geological environment conditions, and construction scale, which reflects the regional difference of green construction technology and the regional characteristics of technical development key area.
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All posts tagged in: frederator
Cecilia Cordero · Other Cartoons
Frederator’s Costume Quest Makes its Way to Amazon Prime
Costume Quest is one of those underrated videogames that flew under the radar of people who would have loved the game. It has since built a cult following, years after its initial release in 2010, but now the franchise is about to get even more fans because an animated adaptation recently debuted on Amazon Prime. Frederator Studios is behind the adaptation, so we can expect quality all ...
Takao · Other Cartoons
Frederator puts new shows in development
Wow Unlimited’s Frederator Networks continues to grow its roster of animated content by announcing a large production slate of shows. Founded by Fred Seibert in 1997, the company’s responsible for some of the biggest cartoon hits, including Adventure Time and The Fairly Odd Parents. In 2016, the company merged with Rainmaker Entertainment and Ezrin Hirsh to form Wow ...
Wanna chat? Head to the ToonBarn Forum!
Netflix’s Castlevania dazzles in debut trailer
Netflix has unveiled the first teaser for the upcoming Castlevania animated series and their adaptation of the classic Konami franchise looks great. In a nod to its video game roots, they even introduced the trailer with a Nintendo Entertainment System boot up! The four episode series will debut on the subscription service on July 7th and details “the last surviving member of the disgraced ...
Neil Raymundo · Other Cartoons
Costume Quest Video Game to Get Its Own Cartoon Adaptation
It would seem that cartoon adaptations of video games are now en vogue, as Amazon has recently announced an animated series based on Double Fine Productions’ RPG titled Costume Quest, and will be adding it to their Amazon Original Kids Series slate. The Costume Quest cartoon will be under executive producer Will McRobb, who also serves as story editor, and Frederator Studios’ Fred Seibert, ...
Frederator Boosts Online Network with 200 Toon Channels
The Channel Frederator Network is part of the new breed of entertainment networks that have succeeded in tapping the potential of the Internet as a distribution medium. Over the course of June and July, the network managed to boost its library with over 200 new channels. Since the Frederator network focuses on animated content, it is not suprising that they have signed mostly animated channels, ...
Neil Raymundo · Toonbarn TV
Cartoon Hangover Presents New Cartoon, MANLY
Frederator’s Cartoon Hangover channel has just posted a new cartoon short titled “MANLY.” The MANLY short was created by Adventure Time storyboard artist and write Jesse Moynihan along with his brother Justin Moynihan, who is a musician and composer for Adventure Time. The duo describes the short as “Silver Surfer meets Star Trek Next Generation, with the violence of Fist of the North ...
Cartoon Hangover Breaks One Million Subscriber Barrier
Frederator Studios’ hit Youtube channel, Cartoon Hangover, has recently broken the one million subscriber record, and is actually the second original funded Youtube channel to do so within the first year of its inception. The Cartoon Hangover channel was originally launched in in November 2012 by industry veteran Fred Seibert (Adventure Time, The Fairly Oddparents), managing over 17 million ...
Antony Norman Gusscott · Other Cartoons · Toonbarn TV
Natasha Allegri’s Bee and PuppyCat
Bee and PuppyCat Adventure Time, Bravest Warriors, ring a bell? We’re a little late on the uptake, but by posting now you get to save on the wait. Presenting… Natasha Allegri’s new series: Bee & PuppyCat. ...
Cartoon Hangover’s Ace Discovery Crash Lands on Youtube
The pilot episode for the brand new animated comedy series called Ace Discovery (which was commissioned by Frederator Studios’ Cartoon Hangover) has just been released on Youtube, and you can watch it below (via Youtube, of course): ...
Pendleton Ward Launches Bravest Warriors
If you’re a fan of Cartoon Network’s hit comedy series Adventure Time, you owe it to yourself to check out its creator’s new show Bravest Warriors on his new Youtube channel, Cartoon Hangover. The new series is directed by Breehn Burns, who is the co-creator of the popular web short Dr. Tran, and focuses on four teenage heroes for hire who “warp through galaxies to save ...
Frederator Launches New Cartoon Channel on Youtube
Indie animation company Frederator Networks is scheduled to debut a premium Youtube channel on July 2012. Named “Cartoon Hangover”, the new premium channel will feature three new series, with plans to produce and program 10 more original shows as well as 39 original shorts within the next 3 years. ...
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Accuracy International & the 33rd 50 Cal World Championship Raton New Mexico by Darrel Evans
For those who don’t know Darrel Evans, let me explain. Welshman Darrel has been shooting benchrest competition with the UKBRA (United Kingdom Benchrest Association) for several years at all ranges from 100 to 1000 yards.
He upset the established applecart by dominating his class – with a sniper rifle – an Accuracy International sniper rifle. Tactical rifles are not usually seen in benchrest competition and it’s even more rare to see one in the winner’s circle, yet this is exactly what Darrel did.
He was so successful that he was recently inducted into the UKBRA Hall of Fame thanks to his many Championship wins and small-group records.
Fortunately, Darrel’s success did not go un-noticed by Accuracy International which explains how this article came about but, I’ll let the man himself take over……
Brief History of the 50 Cal World Championships
The FCSA (Fifty Caliber Shooter’s Association) was founded in the USA 1985 and the first official 50 Cal. World Championship held at Raton took place in 1996 – before then it was simply a ‘national’ championship.
This year’s FCSA World Championships were again held at the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico from July 5-7th. There were shooters from Australia, Great Britain, Spain and of course the USA in attendance.
Surely the dream of all long range rifle shooters
The FCSA 1000 yard matches have four classes: Light Gun (32lbs), Heavy Gun (50lbs), Unlimited (no limit) and Hunter (50lbs). In the first three classes, the rifles are shot from a machine-rest off the bench with rear bag. Hunter Class requires the shooter to fire from the ground off a bipod. Competitors shoot for group and score. This means there can be lots of winners – score, group, 2 gun agg., junior, lady, overseas, veteran etc.
There is also a 600 yard Practical & Semi-auto 50BMG Match which is shot prone from a bi-pod and of course, the famous ‘King of 2 Miles’ which precedes the World Championships.
A surprise call from Accuracy International
After competing in the 600 yard 2010-2011 UKBRA Winter League, where I was lucky enough not only to win the Factory Class, Light Gun and Heavy Gun Classes and set three UK records all in one day, I was contacted by Alice Bond of Accuracy International, congratulating me on my achievements.
I was also invited to go down to the AI factory at Portsmouth for a visit, however due to work commitments, I did not take up the offer offer for quite some time but I did attend the British Shooting Show with an invite to meet up at the Accuracy International stand. So, I finally got to meet Alice, who introduced me to Mr Dave Walls, founder of AI. Over a cup of tea I got to learn of all Dave’s achievements, not only in building one of the worlds best military rifles but the fact that Dave has also shot at a very high level himself.
Dave also happened to mention that he had recently been ill and, by coincidence, I was suffering from similar symptoms so I decided to see my doctor, who quickly referred me to a consultant and I ended up having an emergency operation that same day!
A further conversation with Alice resulted in a personal invite down to the factory from Dave for a couple of days. I think that there was a mutual bond between us – not just the fascination and love of accurate rifles and Accuracy International but also the fact that without his advice, I might not be here to tell this tale!
Now, a few years later and many visits to the factory and still getting good results with my AI rifle, Dave asked if I would be interested in shooting in the 2018 50 Cal. World Championships in Raton New Mexico. Needless to say, I jumped at the offer.
Prepping the rifles following the shipment to Mile High Shooting Centre
New Mexico is a long way from Wales
I decided to leave my car in Portsmouth and travel to Heathrow with Dave and meet up with our third team member, Ady Newbury.
The four 50 cal. rifles we would use were already being shipped down from Accuracy International North America to the Mile High Shooting Centre in Denver ready for collection later in the week. All we had to do was enjoy the flight – though without the fantastic First Class facilities I don’t think that I would have made it – I could barely walk 50 yards without severe pain due to a bout of sciatica.
After a night in Denver we went to Mile High to meet owners Diane and Randy and unpack two crates containing rifles, rests and all our cleaning gear. Everything was checked, cleaned, scopes mounted and bore-sighted and the whole lot packed into our SUV ready for the three-hour road trip to New Mexico.
After checking in to our motel for a relaxed evening and yet more food, next day it was time to drive the short distance to the range, check in and have the rifles weighed. We then had a chance to confirm our zeros ready for the start of the World Championships the next day. Now for a good night’s sleep and an early start.
With third Team Member Ady at the entrance to NRA Wittington
Day One – At last we get to shoot
Do I look nervous?
Up at 6.00am and, after a short drive, on the 1000 yard range for 8.00am. Now my nerves are starting to kick-in a little bit with the realisation that I am actually going to compete in the 50 Cal. World Championships!
After the opening ceremony with the American National Anthem, there I was with my rifle, sitting at the bench, waiting for the command to load and make ready to fire in the Heavy Gun Class in the very first World Championship that I had ever shot in – let alone with a 50 Cal. rifle weighing 50lbs!
The evening before, my rifle was reliably putting rounds in the centre of the 1000 yard target but now? What a relief to see the target go down and re-appear with a marked fall of shot – not in the middle but at least it was on. Strangely, for the next three relays I could not get one hit on the target – one round even shattering the target frame! 50 BMG verses wooden 2 x 4 frame – quite dramatic really – oops! Was it me, my scope or had the barrel given up the ghost? Not the best of starts to say the least…
Next up was the Light Gun Class. I can see why many shooters don’t like this class – the rifle only weighs 32 pounds and kicks like a mule! I must admit that after such a bad start in the Heavy Gun Class I got the bit between my teeth – OK, head down, get on with it!
First round was a good centre hit in the X-ring and the rest all in the ten with a score of 50 and a respectable group of 9 inches. Now I was happy! The second relay produced a group of 10 inches and a score of 48. For Relay three, I didn’t notice the slight wind pick-up so the group was a little larger at 11 inches and a score of 41.
That was me finished for the day. A bit battered and bruised – I have to admit to having a trickle of blood running down my face after a dose of scope-bite! It happens to the best of us but embarrassing none the less!
Dave gives me a few pointers with his Unlimited left-hander
First up is the Unlimited Class and I used Dave’s left handed rifle. I got off to a reasonable start with an 8 inch group and a score of 37 but now, the wind was blowing from seemingly all directions. The second relay produced a 12 inch group with 37 scored. I finished off with a 14 incher and a score of 47.
After lunch the Light Gun Class will finish off the Championships. I managed a best group of 7 inches in the third relay though only 30 scored. Respectable score of 45 for the other two relays with groups of 12 and 15 inches. That’s it – all shooting finished. Now, time to relax and reflect on the last couple of days.
Shoot Dinner & Presentation
My overwhelming memory of the 2018 Worlds will be my fellow competitors and the range folk who were so friendly and willing to help in any way that they can. I felt really at ease at the Dinner, everyone deliberating over the last few days, eating, drinking and waiting for the presentation of awards to start.
I must admit that I was totally taken aback when my name was called – Ady had already been up to collect an award for fifth place in the International Shooters category and I actually got third place! I was even more surprised when I was called up for fifth in the World for the Light Gun Class – fantastic! I couldn’t be more pleased to end up with two really nice trophies.
One of the highlights of the week was being presented by Dave Walls with a gold medal that he had got for every one of the United Kingdom competitors.
Now it’s time to say goodbye to all the new friends we’ve made and to thank all of the people at Raton for their help and hospitality. The long journey home starts with a drive back to Denver and Mile High to clean and pack up the rifles and equipment then a short drive to the airport and the long flight back home.
There are many people who made this trip such a memorable experience but, most of all, I would like to thank Dave and all the Accuracy International team for the chance to compete in my very first World Championship. Something I’ll never forget.
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New Season, New Look
Sea Rover at the end of last season
Sea Rover's New Look!
After torturing several sets of guests in Season Two, Gary and I decided to have an integrated swim platform added to the back of the boat over the summer. We were getting the boat painted anyway, and the addition of the swim platform didn’t add a huge amount to the price tag. In other words, it was a ‘good deal’. Francisco, our fiberglass/painter wizard here in Guaymas, worked on the project over the summer. Through a series of bad photos (usually with Francisco’s thumb in the way), we saw the swim platform come to life. Sort of. And then the really hot, rainy season came and, predictably, all work came to a halt. To ensure the boat would actually make it back in the water before the new year, Gary drove down to Mexico at the beginning of October (before all the other Cruisers arrived) to prompt the work along. Despite the incredible temperatures (>35oC, 24-7), the boat work got completed – the day before I arrived on October 29th! The inside of the boat was in a complete state of chaos when I got there, but the outside looked incredible. From the photos we’d been sent over the summer it was hard to imagine what the final product would look like. I was very pleasantly surprised. Francisco is an artist. The new “back end” and paint job have totally changed the look of the boat, but she looks great. Like a new boat!
The new sugar scoop
Old "back end"
Since the work took most of October to complete, poor Gary was way behind in getting the boat ready to sail. He’d spent his days cajoling work out of the tradesmen and installing our new lithium boat batteries (not the catching fire kind).
Mmmm, lithium batteries....
An added pressure was that Gary’s cousin Karen was coming to visit on November 1st and she expected a sailing trip. Needless to say my first three days in Mexico were a blur of activity while we sweated and fought to complete all the jobs needed for us to go back in the water (in 35oC+ temperatures). This involved jobs like servicing all 14 through-hulls (many of which had ceased over the summer), hooking up the solar controller and re-plumbing the engine exhaust system, to name a few. The boat was still in a state of chaos when Karen arrived, but at least we could see what needed to be done to be on our way. We put Karen to work and spent the first 2 days of her holiday getting the boat back in the water, and then rigging her for sailing. Miraculously we sailed out of Guaymas harbour on November 4th. A new record! We only forgot to close one through hull and started taking on water as we motored out of the harbour, but Karen quickly discovered the water squirting out of the engine room and Gary fixed the issue. Phew.
Crews of Sea Rover and Nauticat at the Soggy Peso
Our first trip was a calm motor in flat seas (unheard of last year!) 22nm north up to Bahia Algodones. We spent a windy afternoon watching the kite surfers playing in the bay, then enjoyed margaritas at the “Soggy Peso” beach bar with a neighbouring boat.
Karen swam to shore from the boat. Quite idyllic. It was also the inaugural use of the new swim platform! It is amazing. It is now so easy to get on and off the boat. No more 5.10 climbing moves to get back on the boat after going for a swim!
After Algodones we motored north in choppy seas with 15 knots of wind on the nose. Despite our slow progress, we got the water maker working and filled up the tanks. We spent the next 2 nights in Bahia San Pedro, which is a lovely secluded bay about 10 nm north of the last civilization in Algodones. We snorkelled and listened to the coyotes sing at night.
Kialoa leaving to cross the Sea of Cortez
We met up with Tanya and her brother Jay on s/v Kialoa and spent an evening with them before she crossed over to the Baja side of the Sea. As we’ve travelled so many miles with Kialoa over the last 2 years it was a bittersweet moment watching Tanya sail off into the sunset (literally). We were so proud of her, doing her first passage without Scott and as sole owner/skipper of Kialoa, but we were also sad that an era seems to have come to an end and we aren’t travelling together anymore. Hopefully we’ll catch up with her later in the season.
Morning rest
My work schedule dictated that we had to return to Algodones for internet access and so we had a very pleasant early morning motor back to civilization. We watched the sun come up and provided refuge to one small bird along the way, who needed to rest his wings before flying further. We spent the day relaxing, and then had a nice sail back to Guaymas the following day. We are happy to report that the sails still work, and we even remembered how to rig the pole for wing-on-wing sailing (it always takes us 2-3 tries to get it right at the beginning of the season - this year, only 1 small adjustment was required). We discovered an issue with the roller furler, which required a trip up the mast the next day, where we ended up having to take the genoa off so that the forestay could be tightened (which meant pulling the whole furling unit apart, of course), but we seem to have fixed the issue. Fingers crossed.
Sunrise over San Carlos
We’ve been doing more boat jobs in Guyamas (sewing, re-wiring, re-fueling, re-provisioning) while we wait for our friend Bill on Greybeard’s crew to arrive early next week. We’ll then travel north to visit friends in San Carlos, and will start making our way down towards the Mexican mainland, probably via the Baja coast. We are storing the boat in San Blas (between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta) over Christmas and so we have a few miles we need to travel before then.
We are looking forward to some great downwind sailing. Our plan for the season is to make it down as far as Manzanillo, and then work our way back north to Guaymas again by April. We hope to do a few multi-day passages to help get us prepared for next season when we finally leave Mexico and cross an ocean or two.
Location: Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico
Slow Learners
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News > Latest news > 2016 > July
Giving farmers the tools to share their personal stories
Farmer suicide rates are higher than those of the general Australian population.
Workshop for farmers affected by suicide
Using digital storytelling to reach out to others
Aims to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness
Aussie farmers affected by suicide came together to take part in a workshop that helped them creatively record and share their personal stories.
Swinburne University of Technology worked with the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) to facilitate a three-day course that helped 12 farmers create a digital story of their deep and profound experiences.
Farmer suicide rates are higher than those of the general Australian population. One way the NCFH is addressing this is through The Ripple Effect, a website addressing stigma amongst members of the farming community whose lives have been affected indirectly or directly by suicide.
Swinburne’s Valentina La Piana, Screen Media team leader and facilitator of the community engagement project, explained how the project was developed.
“The focus of the workshop was about giving participants the space to express their story and the tools and support to get it down, so that their stories could be shared as a way to help break the silence that surrounds mental health conditions and suicide,” Valentina shared.
“It was deep but uplifting. One of the participants created a very emotive story, using nursery rhymes as an analogy, combining spoken word with photos.”
The project aimed to provide participants with creative tools for expressing themselves and sharing their personal stories, in the hope of reaching out to others who may be suffering from psychological distress and from the stigma surrounding it in rural areas.
Through increasing access to conversation, information and insights as a way of reducing stigma, the project hopes to facilitate communication around the subject of suicide and encourage more people to seek treatment and support, when required.
“We would like to do more of this work. Community outreach is really important. It opens up doors to opportunities that people have never thought of before,” said Valentina.
The workshop was a valuable learning experience, not only for those participating but also for the Swinburne team who ran it and heard the profound and moving experiences of participants. The emotional and challenging nature of the workshop meant the team needed to debrief at the end of every day.
Visit The Ripple Effect website to learn more about the project. Selected stories created by participants are now available for viewing.
If you, or anyone you know, are at risk of hurting yourself or others, please contact Lifeline 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.
media@swinburne.edu.au
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It’s your child’s screen experience that matters, not screen ‘time’
Swinburne builds on high Australian Research Council funding success rate
Last updated: Tuesday, 03-Oct-2017 02:09:43 EST
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Home»Management Handbook»Human Resources Handbook»Leave and working...
CEBActions
HLCPActions
HLCMActions
(1) At the 35th session (March 1972: CO-ORDINATION/R.931, para. 41) CCAQ agreed that a staff member entitled to maternity leave may, at her option, take a minimum of four weeks' maternity leave prior to confinement and the balance of the entitlement after confinement instead of the normal six weeks before and six weeks after confinement.
Read more about Maternity Leave
Annual and special leave
(1) At its 11th session (April 1951: CCA/A.11/SR.7, 10 and 11; CO-ORDINATION/R.93) CCAQ decided the policy to be followed in principle in dealing with staff called for military service.
(2) At the 18th session (March 1957: CO-ORDINATION/R.245, para. 23) CCAQ noted a proposal of UN concerning the administration of annual leave rules in resignation cases; this had a useful bearing on the problem of ensuring equality of treatment between staff members who gave notice of resignation and those who did not. (
Read more about Annual and special leave
Rest and recuperation travel
(1) From 1968 to 1981, provisions existed whereby staff members in certain field duty stations where conditions were such that action to obtain relief was warranted, were entitled to rest and recuperation travel to designated leave centres, in years during which they were not entitled to home leave. These provisions were defined by CCAQ until ICSC introduced a scheme for the classification of duty stations according to conditions of life and work in 1980 (see section 10.2).
Read more about Rest and recuperation travel
Hours of work and public holidays
(1) At a special session in July 1972 (CO-ORDINATION/R.947, para. 10), CCAQ discussed a proposal that in accordance with General Assembly resolution 2782 (XXXVI) 24 October (UN Day) should be an additional public holiday. It felt that while there might be no objection to the substitution of UN day for another public holiday, it would not be advisable to make it an additional day unless a considerable number of Member States did so. It noted that some organizations had 8 public holidays, some 9 and others 10. It agreed that 10 should not be exceeded.
Read more about Hours of work and public holidays
(1) At its 14th session (CEB/2007/HR/14, para.74), the HR Network urged agencies, which have not yet implemented adoption leave to do so and also supported recommendations made by WFP, WHO and UNDP that each staff member should be entitled to full adoption leave, that adoption leave should be a specific kind of leave rather than fall under “special leave”.
Read more about Adoption leave
Other related matters
(1) At the 14th session (CEB/2007/HR/14, para.74) of the HR Network, the Commission decided that its coordinating and regulating role in the area of leave entitlements should be concentrated on ensuring a consistent common system policy with respect to those elements of leave which were essential to maintaining harmonized recruitment incentives, facilitating mobility of staff and ensuring coherent conditions of employment among organizations with similar situated staff. The areas of concentration would include, but would not be limited to annual, home and sick leave.
Read more about Other related matters
Home leave and Annual Visits to Family/Family Visit Travel
Read more about Home leave and Annual Visits to Family/Family Visit Travel
(1) At the first part of the 21st session (April 1960: CO-ORDINATION/R.325, Annex I) CCAQ recorded that sick leave for General Service staff should be on the same basis as for Professionals.
Read more about Sick Leave
First Session Report (April 1999, Geneva)
First Session Report (April 2000, Rome)
First Session Report (April 2001, Nairobi)
First Session Report (March 1998, Geneva)
Fourth World Conference on Women (1995)
Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB)
Germany IPSAS Introduction
Global Humanitarian Platform (GHP)
FBN: European Commision's financial statements 2011
CEB: First Regular Session Report (April 2005, Mont Pèlerin)
CEB: First Regular Session Report (April 2007, Geneva)
CEB: First Regular Session Report (April 2008, Bern)
CEB: First Regular Session Report (April 2009, Paris)
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Smart Watch Android Gsm Arena
The Most Effective PART OF THE GALAXY WATCH IS ITS ROTATING BEZEL
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those issues, the Galaxy Watch has to do with comparable to it gets for Android users.For years Samsung's Equipment series of smartwatches have been controling the marketplace for all the right reasons. When you take smart advertising as well as impressive items in order to combine them together, this is what happens. The Gear S3 is absolutely among my preferred smartwatches.Right out of package, you can tell that the S3 is a top smartwatch;
released earlier this year, the S3 concentrates on everything that was right in the previous versions, as well as adds much more attributes than in the past. Certain, I know it sets you back fairly greater than several of the other alternatives on the list, however it is okay.Starting off, the develop high quality is extremely pleasing, with exceptional high quality materials used throughout the construction. The watch certainly feels like a fashion statement as long as it feels like a costs smartwatch.Unlike some of the various other smartwatches in the market, the Equipment S3 does not work on Android Put on, rather, it runs on Samsung's very own OS called Tizen. Before my testimonial, I had my questions regarding this OS as it is still something new, and unidentified to me.Luckily, upon utilizing the expect a week, I can state that the OS is appealing, nevertheless, the extreme absence of apps might keep some customers at bay. Samsung recently pressed Smart Watch Android Gsm Arena
an upgraded to this watch, allowing you to save offline Spotify playlists onto the 4GB of storage.This feature makes my life very easy due to the fact that I no longer need to depend on my data connection to pay attention to the music whenever I am outside. The Gear S3 has an animated always-on display screen, and unlike a few of the various other watches I utilize on a typical basis, this is one beautiful display, thanks to Samsung.Another fantastic point that I such as about the Gear S3 is the fact that it comes filled with task trackers of all kinds, and while several people may really feel doubtful concerning it, particularly when you consider the quantity of approvals it needs. It really is not that big of an issue to be honest.The Gear S3 additionally supplies a wonderful, intuitive interface that is among the most effective I have actually seen in any kind of smartwatch.
All of these good functions integrate and also make this a leading smartwatch. I do have some concerns that are required to be listing out.For starters, the watch looks big on your wrist; now that is something that entirely depends on how your wrists are. This is a subjective issue of course, however I still think it is essential to aim it out. An additional point that was a frustration was the sheer absence of appropriate apps.
That is mainly due to the reality that Tizen is still a smartwatch OS that is creating, and also progressing. If you are fine with these small inconveniences, then I can tell you that the Samsung Gear S3 is most definitely among the best smartwatches 2017. Developer smartwatches are capturing on, yet the bulk of choices available most likely originated from Fossil Group's rankings-- and also
among the finest amongst them is the outstanding Skagen Falster 2. It's a unisex watch that is available in a unisex dimension, although it's definitely among the a lot more manly coatings in the Fossil Team line-up. Slim and also light, the Skagen difficulties those who grumble that smartwatches are as well chunky, packing a full 1.19-inch OLED touchscreen. In terms of dimension, the instance has actually been shrunk to 40mm, which as tiny as any type of smartwatch around-- as well as it's exceptionally light also. At 0.8 mm thick it's no Daniel Wellington, however it's as comfortable as any full-screen Use OS look out there.
It takes a common 20mm strap, so you can quite a lot choose anything from the analogue watch globe to pimp out your smartwatch.There are downsides for a tech point of view. It made use of older Qualcomm modern technology so battery life is mired around a solitary day's usage and also we did notice some efficiency issues. If you're looking for design initially as well as tech second-- and also there is absolutely nothing incorrect with that-- the Skagen Falster 2 is well worth your time.Fossil Group might be holding the umbrella over a lot of style homes generating smartwatches, but that does not mean it's not contending in the arena itself. And also with its fourth-generation smartwatches, it's produced possibly the most attractive smartwatch on the marketplace, from a fashion perspective.Sharing some resemblances with the older Michael Kors Gain access to Sofie (our previous finest style watch pick ), the Fossil Q Endeavor HR intends to stick out, and also fans of a more dressy watch will most likely locate it a much better fit than those who such as to keep their wrist wear understated.Fossil is still maintaining display resolution and also other specifications under covers, but we do recognize this generation(which includes the males's Fossil Q Explorist HR)is the most feature-packed we've seen from the company.
Structure on the style improvements of the third-gen tools, which saw the level tyre eliminated and a slimmer kind aspect, the Q Venture Human Resources now likewise harbours some severe tech under the bezel.There's now a heart rate display, as the name recommends, for tracking beats throughout the day and throughout workout, a GPS keep track of to stay on top of your exercises, and also an NFC chip to enable Google Pay. Include in that the capacity to take this underwater up
to 50 metres, all on the top of the rejuvenated Put on OS, as well as it all rounds out as a very full smartwatch experience.One of our leading smartwatch choices for women together with the Fossil Q Endeavor is Michael Kors'Access Runway. The iPhone and also Android-friendly operate on Google's Wear OS and improves the previous generation Michael Kors smartwatches, going large on looks once again.Its 41mm case houses a beautiful 1.19-inch 390 x 390 AMOLED touchscreen display screen.
There's your option of stainless-steel as well as leather bands, as well as it's also offered in a slightly much more expensive Ceramic model.On the attributes front, the Path brings integrated GPS, a heart price monitor, a swimproof style and Google Pay to enable contactless repayments.
It's possibly not finest matched to opt for a kept up, but if you care regarding using Google's health and fitness tracking functions, it even more than does the job.Google's Put on OS obviously runs the software program show so you're likewise getting notification assistance, Google Assistant, the capacity to move music to your watch and also customisable watch deals with.
There's custom Michael Kors see faces there also to far better compliment that elegant watch body.Battery life is the Wear OS smartwatch norm, so you can anticipate to obtain you through a day and possibly a little extra. Profits, you'll need to charge it every day.If you're not preparing to obtain sweaty with it and you're searching for a
seriously attractive smartwatch, the Runway definitely fits the bill.Luxury smartwatches are a thing and also some of them are really excellent. It started with Tag Heuer's smartwatches then the sort of Louis Vuitton signed up with the connected party also. Now Montblanc desires in.Features such as heart price monitors, as well as myriad of
various other sensing units have actually made their means right into the smartwatches, permitting them to genuinely change the wearable experience into something better, and flexible at the same time.Since the marketplace at this point is full of smartwatches of all sorts, we took it on ourselves to take an appearance at the finest smartwatches you can purchase, yet initially, we are mosting likely to be taking a look at a few of the important details concerning the smartwatches.Its initial smartwatch was underwhelming however, in its second coming, the Top 2 is a watch that supplies on design as well as on features.
Montblanc has modelled its second generation watch on its 1858 collection offering streamlined original watch deals with, a high quality construction and also a top notch 1.2-inch, 390 x 390 resolution touchscreen display.Google's Put on OS runs the program, but Montblanc manages to leave its mark with additional apps and those watch faces we discussed to help points really feel even more unique.
It's currently loaded with even more hardware attributes consisting of built-in GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, a heart rate screen and a completely water resistant layout to include any kind of additional layer of durability.This is likewise among the first Wear OS smartwatches to run on Qualcomm's brand-new smartwatch technology that offers performance enhancements throughout
the board including battery life. You're not going to obtain a week out of it, but it ought to make it via the day and possibly a little extra.The brand-new physical fitness attributes might not be excellent, but it behaves for the laid-back gym goer
. When you're not sweating it out, it'll sit there looking beautiful.The bulk of smartwatches in our listing have been full-screen devices, but
the Withings Steel HR approaches things a little in a different way-- yet is still a powerful linked watch in a package that evaluates just 49g. The analogue screen shows the moment on the major dial (with a month of battery life )and development towards your action goal on the second dial-- but there's a lot more taking place than this.The Withings Steel Human Resources has a 24/7 heart price monitor that will keep tabs on VO2 Max and it will pair with a smart device to track exterior workouts using GPS, although the tech isn't constructed into the watch itself. It's additionally swimproof to 50m and also isn't too worn-out in
the swimming pool either, tracking laps and also lengths What's even more, Withings Health Companion application is one of the most effective around for maintaining tabs on all your diverse health data.The remainder of the smartwatch area is largely consisted of variations of Wear OS tools that run Google's real smartwatch platform.
The problem with the majority of these tools is they really feel at the very least a generation(or more)behind where Apple as well as Samsung go to with wearables. They have fewer functions, even worse battery life, as well as typically thick, awkward styles. Based on our experience, the Put on OS enjoys that get on the most effective are ones made by Fossil and its steady of brands (such as Skagen), which are available in a range of styles and also sizes.It's no slouch as a linked watch either, and also will alert you to notifications on your mobile phone using resonances as well as the tiny OLED display construct into the bezel.
This is qualified of using rather unrefined as well as fast informs, however
can show you when a message/call/calendar signals are coming through making use of fast icons.It's a stripped back smartwatch experience however one that's packed into a trendy, little and also comfy crossbreed that does not make as lots of compromises as you 'd think.Huawei is still opting for its Watch 2, however in 2018 came back to the table
with something entirely different. The Huawei Watch GT packs a huge collection of functions yet in addition to a customized operating system-- those are words we usually utter with a substantial quantity of uneasiness, but the Watch GT provides two weeks of battery life, which is a compelling sell.And it does not stretch a dollar on tech. Huawei has actually crammed in a 1.39-inch, 454 x 454 AMOLED screen. Which is among the very best we've played with, pleasantly comparing with the vibrancy and sharpness found on the Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch Collection 4. Lite OS may take away several of the deeper aspects previously discovered in Huawei smartwatches, it's still an excellent activity tracker with heart rate monitoring as well as rest tracking.Sports tracking on the general
is good, but there is one complaint we do have: information can not be shared with third-party apps. Every one of your information can only live inside of Huawei's buddy Health app. We also located the heart price data to delay means behind achieved sports tracking rivals.Huawei makes huge guarantees in the battery division: up to 2 weeks with regular usage, a complete day of GENERAL PRACTITIONER tracking and approximately a month with attributes like always-on display as well as GENERAL PRACTITIONER switched off. And also it delivers. Also with constant heart rate tracking switched on, we have actually just needed to charge the Watch GT once throughout our three weeks of use.There's currently brand-new Huawei Watch GT Classy and also active editions that uses a less stylish appearance however features all of the exact same attributes including a brand-new Triathlon tracking setting. For those searching for Pebble-esque longevity, yet agree to give up the glitz and also appeal of a completely created os and all the apps and beauty-- the Huawei Watch GT is a fascinating option. And also with its fourth-generation smartwatches, it's generated maybe the most appealing smartwatch on the market, from a fashion perspective.Sharing some resemblances with the older Michael Kors Accessibility Sofie (our previous finest fashion watch choice ), the Fossil Q Endeavor HR wants to stand out, and also followers of an extra elegant watch will probably locate it a far better fit than those that such as to maintain their wrist wear understated.Fossil is still keeping display resolution as well as other specifications under wraps, however we do know this generation(which consists of the males's Fossil Q Explorist HR)is the most feature-packed we've seen from the business. There's customized Michael Kors enjoy faces there as well to much better compliment that elegant watch body.Battery life is the Use OS smartwatch norm, so you can anticipate to get you via a day and also possibly a little extra. Now Montblanc desires in.Features such as heart rate screens, and myriad of
other sensing units have actually made their means right into the smartwatches, permitting them to truly transform the wearable experience right into something much better, and also versatile at the very same time.Since the market at this factor is loaded with smartwatches of all sorts, we took it on ourselves to take a look at the finest smartwatches you can buy, yet first, we are going to be looking at some of the essential information concerning the smartwatches.Its initial smartwatch was underwhelming but, in its second coming, the Summit 2 is a watch that delivers on layout and on features.Montblanc has actually designed its second generation watch on its 1858 collection offering smooth original watch faces, a high quality construction and a top notch 1.2-inch, 390 x 390 resolution touchscreen display.Google's Use OS runs the program, yet Montblanc manages to leave its mark with additional applications as well as those watch encounters we stated to assist points feel more distinct. Which is amongst the finest we've played with, pleasantly matching up with the vibrancy as well as sharpness found on the Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch Collection 4. Even with constant heart rate monitoring turned on, we have actually just had to charge the Watch GT once throughout our three weeks of use.There's currently brand-new Huawei Watch GT Elegant and also energetic editions that supplies a less flashy appearance however comes with all of the same features including a brand-new Triathlon tracking mode.
Having a small computer system strapped around your wrist is no longer a wishful thinking. The Apple Watch and also other alternatives from prominent manufacturers, like Fitbit, Samsung, LG, and also Fossil, have been gunning to craft the finest smartwatch. Now a couple of years elder, the smartwatch market offers more than ever before, whether you seek a particular style, iphone and also Android phone compatibility, or simply a lot of features.Smartwatches remain in rude
wellness but when it involves the finest smartwatch in 2019, it's undoubtedly the Apple Watch Collection 4. Yet it comes with a cost, and also there are numerous top smartwatches at less costly rates and also with similarly excellent health and fitness features.Whether you're trying to find a great smartwatch for physical fitness tracking, running or a just taking notifications as well as phone calls-- there are lots of excellent choices for every single budget plan. What's more, smartwatches are getting more fashionable too.Today's finest smartwatch bargains f you've obtained an Android phone, the Apple Watch will not work at all, and also
the most effective alternative right here is Samsung
's Galaxy Watch. The Galaxy Watch does collaborate with both apples iphone and Android devices, but it's best with an Android phone, as well as particularly, one made by Samsung.The Galaxy Watch has most all of the functions you 'd anticipate on a modern-day smartwatch: GENERAL PRACTITIONERS, touchscreen, multi-day battery life, voice control, mobile settlements, as well as heart price surveillance. It has a round face that's simple to read indoors and out, and also has an extremely useful always-on setting that makes it very easy to see the time at a glance.We're about 4 years into the Great Modern Smartwatch Experiment, which means we've learned what smartwatches can be great for
(physical fitness tracking, notifications )and what they are definitely bad for(replacing your smart device completely). If you're in the market for a smartwatch, whether that's because you've never possessed one in the past as well as are interested about them or you're wanting to upgrade your older-generation model, you can anticipate today's smartwatches to last a little much longer in between fees, be a little faster to accomplish points, as well as maybe do a couple of brand-new methods you weren't expecting.But the ideal smartwatch is still very much a servant to a smartphone, as well as also if you shell out for an LTE-connected model as well as pay a service strategy charge for it, it's not going
to release you completely. Because of that, we don't think LTE smartwatches are an excellent buy for many people-- it's much much easier as well as less expensive to just maintain your phone with you and utilize your watch as a kind of remote control for the phone in your pocket or bag.Which smartwatch you pick is mosting likely to be based entirely on what phone you own, so our choices are damaged down right into the most effective option for apple iphone individuals as well as the very best one for Android owners.The Apple Watch Series 4 is as close to smartwatch excellence as we've seen to day-- it's a functional and powerful wearable that can supply a big series of functions. While those seeking a simple smartwatch might discover the Series 4's significant selection of fitness, health and linked features to be excessive, it's able to morph in between physical fitness tracker, sports see as well as serious health and wellness gadget at will, making it a severe group pleaser.Apple's latest See enhancement provides us one of the most significant layout adjustment since the initial, bringing new 40mm as well as 44mm sizes (in contrast to 38mm as well as 42mm). That indicates more area to show off all the current software attributes presented in watchOS 5. It has just the same core fitness as well as sporting activities monitoring as the Collection 3, including integrated GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
for monitoring of exterior workouts and also a swimproof layout. Health and fitness tracking evaluation might lag Fitbit, but Apple's special goals-- indicated by the closing of Relocate, Stand and also Calorie rings-- is still a powerful incentive. Nonetheless, there's still no indigenous sleep monitoring
here, however this can be done using a 3rd party app.The headline attributes are the new ECG display that opens the capacity for serious heart wellness tracking. It's been FDA cleared, so the function can be utilized to identify heart rhythm irregularities. It's currently available beyond the US with Apple adding 19 more countries that can sign in on their heart wellness from the brand-new Watch. You likewise don't need to do that by hand, and also the Apple Watch continuously checks for reduced
and also elevated heart prices, along with AFib. There's likewise a new fall detection setting that can allow customers gain access to Siri to get in touch with emergency services or an emergency contact.If you are seeking a terrific smartwatch that does not set you back a great deal of cash, the S928 Sports Watch could be a wonderful choice. It is just one of the most inexpensive smartwatch on my checklist, and while I am generally adamant when it comes to evaluating such items, it captivated me to the core.The watch is designed rather just, and also as opposed to having a fancy display or high resolution, it utilizes a straightforward, single display screen. Honestly, I do incline that in all, smartwatches are all regarding being simplified in my point of view, and the S928 Sports Watch does a fantastic task at that.Where it does not have a display, the S928 Sports Watch composes by giving some of the very best attributes that you can want in a smartwatch. In order to make things less complicated for the viewers, I am listing down the functions below.Heart Rate Monitor: The watch features a heart rate screen that is able to supply live heart rate updates.GPS: The S928 Sports Watch likewise include a developed in 3D accelerometer +gyroscope3D, allowing the individuals to be able to track every relocation they make throughout their exercise regime.Outdoor Data: The watch is also with the ability of maintaining a record of the exterior information, suggesting that you obtain live updates on just how the climate condition is outdoors. Permitting you to be able to intend your workout carefully.These are several of the innovative or basic functions that are in the watch. While they might not look enough, it is necessary to understand that these features function throughout the entire environment of the
watch, allowing these sensing units to take full control of the situation.The smartwatch can be controlled through an app that is offered on both iphone and also Android. Honestly, the app is as basic as it can obtain, and can use a bit
much more polish. There are a couple of more points that I did not comprehend about the watch; you can not change the time layout to 12 hrs if you want to.In enhancement to that, the watch itself only supports English as a language, while the app itself has 12 languages in total amount. This disparity can be an issue for individuals that don't have English as their key language, as well as although 12 languages are good to have, they are just enough.The advantage right here is that the app is being regularly upgraded by the programmer, so I can presume that extra
languages will be included at some time in the future. Very same goes with the watch as the firmware can be upgraded when released.All in all, the S928 is a respectable smartwatch for Android, it is inexpensive, functions as it is meant to, and does not included unneeded attributes that can drain pipes the battery. I would certainly say that this smartwatch includes the bare basics, and also most definitely has a market among the giants.Sure, the lack of sophisticated functions, and languages is worrying, however you additionally require to take rate into factor to consider when you are evaluating a product.Although smartwatches have existed for a long, long time, their foray into the mainstream is just recent. With companies like Samsung, Apple, Asus, Huawei, and a number of others are functioning day and night to improve the watches, and also absolutely make the experience a great deal better.Amidst all this, there lies the customer attitude that still thinks that the standard, analog watches are means, way much better as they are crafted with fantastic accuracy, in addition to excellence. This has resulted in numerous debates exactly how smartwatches shouldn't exist, or are considered scourge of the wrist watch concept.Still, for individuals that in fact prefer their watches present all the required info that comes
to their phone, all tied into one ecological community really consider smartwatches to be really helpful, and also adhering to that into the marketplace, the smartwatch industry now is producing a separate entity for itself.The Collection 4 comes packing LTE once more so you can take it out sans iPhone and also still make/receive calls, obtain messages and all various other alerts you would certainly on your phone. A new speaker additionally makes Siri talks and phone telephone calls audio louder and also clearer.Battery life is
the main gripe still, and for all the renovations, Apple can still only offer 24-48 hours-- which for numerous just isn't great enough.The Fitbit Versa is the company's second smartwatch as well as, in addition to an adjustment in design direction, it's crucially readily available at a more affordable rate than the Apple Watch-- it can often be gotten for around$179.99. And also do not fail to remember-Fitbit has introduced the Versa Lite Edition(extra on that particular below)which clocks in at $159. The Fitbit Versa is available in a host of different finishes and also with a large collection of bands to blend up the appearance. And thanks to the runaway success of the smartwatch, there's a dynamic market of straps to choose from.The Versa uses every one of the same health and fitness as well as sporting activities tracking features you would certainly get out of the Fitbit ecological community, though the huge noninclusion below is the lack of GPS. If you intend to track flights and runs, you'll require to take your smartphone with you, and also the watch can piggyback your phone's data.
For several this won't be a massive concern, but as serious runners it's a level of issue we like to avoid.Fitbit OS 2.0 brings a new-look UI that offers more insights into your day-to-day information and also fast reply assistance for Android phone individuals(iOS assistance coming with a later date). You can still download apps and also a lot of watch deals with, pay from your wrist making use of Fitbit Pay, and also faucet right into Fitbit Coach. On the other hand the new females's health and wellness monitoring has actually additionally been introduced for the very first time, which is likewise readily available for the
Ionic, too.But it's battery life that really has the power to force customers, in addition to the appealing rate. You can obtain 5 days on a single fee, which means less inconvenience on weekends away, as well as less complex rest tracking.Fitbit had such great success with the very first
Versa that it made a decision to make a less costly version that strips out a few of the smartwatch features.The Lite is nearly identical to the initial Versa in looks, save for now simply a solitary physical button on guard body, which indicates you'll be depending extra on the touchscreen display screen to navigate the Versa Lite. In our experience, we really did not miss the second switch too much.In terms of the attribute that are lost, you do not get an integrated music gamer or swim monitoring (it's still water resistant though). You do get an optical heart rate display and also all the typical physical fitness tracking as well as sports tracking functions along with app-based attributes like women's health and wellness tracking. There's additionally no more Wi-Fi, with Fitbit introducing a new as well as easier method to update your smartwatch via incremental history downloads.Sports and also health and fitness tracking efficiency is not that various from what we found on the very first Versa.
Sleep tracking is still a standout attribute, while the heart price screen still has a tendency to fail for high strength workouts. As a core smartwatch experience it's respectable, however it still lacks in contrast to its closest competitors.
Specifically in the application department. If you enjoy watch encounters though, you're well served here.Thankfully you still obtain the same four-day plus battery life, which can absolutely stretch to five days relying on usage. That's still better than what Apple as well as Google's Use OS watches can muster up ideal now.If you liked the Versa, but favor to spend a little less, the Versa Lite Version is suitable choice. The swim tracking is an unsatisfactory noninclusion a lot more so than the songs player, yet if you can live without monitoring your swimming pool sessions it's still a terrific smartwatch to consider at a wonderful price.The Samsung Galaxy Watch is the successor to the Equipment S3 and also is still one of the very best watches around. Compatible with Android as well as iphone, it now comes in both 42mm as well as 46mm models.Samsung footsteps between smartwatch and health and fitness tracker, also cramming in a heart rate sensor together with the GENERAL PRACTITIONER and also its much-improved Samsung Health and wellness software program. There's additionally the choice of LTE, if you want for an untethered connection, with a standalone speaker for taking contact the watch. It's now waterproof also, including swim monitoring skills that are on par with the Watch Series 4. The Galaxy Watch operates on Samsung's Tizen OS 4.0 and really feels like a far better alternative to Google's Put on OS now. You still get that turning bezel and one of the very best display screens you can discover on a smartwatch. The application selection
still lags method behind the Apple Watch and also Put on OS tools. That stated, the Spotify application is fantastic and also offers offline playback.Battery life, we ought to state, is additionally solid, getting you 2-3 days on the 42mm design and more on the 46mm version.
If you're not a follower of Wear OS and don't want an Apple Watch, this is the leading option to think about instead.Garmin has been putting out go-to smartwatches for sporting activities lovers for a while currently. Running, biking, swimming, golf-- Garmin has had us well and absolutely covered. Despite the Forerunner name, the 645 Music is extra in the mould of the Vivoactive 3 Music. It's got a similar look as well as likewise brings the music this moment. This aids make the Garmin even more of a smartwatch rival to the Apple Watch, Samsung Gear or Fitbit Ionic than before.Not only are you getting sufficient storage for 500 tracks, however you're obtaining the offline playlist support for Spotify, Deezer and also iHeartRadio. For moving your very own tracks, boot up Garmin Express on your computer, pick the Songs tab and also select from your own songs to port over.That very same eye-catching stainless-steel style is here. The 240 x 240 pixel screen at the heart of the body is by no indicates the brightest or most vivid you'll discover, however most importantly supplies solid presence in most exercise conditions, whether you're sweating it out inside your home or outside. There is no touchscreen or touchpad below, so you'll have to resort to pushing some buttons.As much as the number of sports available to track: while it's more of the exact same, there are some noteworthy exemptions-- like golf tracking as well as open water swimming( pool swimming is there though). Heart price monitoring is good otherwise class-leading, and also it won't maintain you lingering for a GENERAL PRACTITIONER signal. There's also all the tension tracking goodies from Garmin's health and fitness trackers. As multi-sport smartwatches go, this is the most effective in our eyes, and also improves all the great work Garmin performed with its previous iterations.For apple iphone proprietors, Apple's Series 4 Watch is by far the most effective choice readily available. The Apple Watch has a big, intense screen; smooth, comfy equipment; quick performance; very reliable battery life; and also an entire host of health and fitness monitoring and health-related functions. The Apple Watch likewise has the strongest third-party Smart Watch Android Gsm Arenaenvironment-- there are many straps, devices, battery chargers, anchors, apps, and also watchface issues you can make use of with the Apple Watch.The Apple Watch stands out at supplying quick accessibility to any notifications that can be found in to your phone, and also it lets you respond to messages right from your wrist quickly and conveniently. You can utilize it as a speakerphone whenever you really feel like replicating Penis Tracy, and it's great for controlling Smart Watch Android Gsm Arena
songs playing on your phone. It also has Apple Spend for buying things without a wallet or your gps, heart and also phone price tracking for exercises, and even the capability to advise you if it finds certain heart problems.THE APPLE VIEW COLLECTION 4 HAS ALL OF THE FUNCTIONS ANTICIPATED IN A SMARTWATCH Battery life can vary depending on how much you utilize the Watch to track activities and the number of notifications you get, but in our screening, the Series 4 Watch never stopped working to last at the very least a whole day in between charges, and also typically it could go for 2 days. It's still something you need to bill instead consistently, but you don't have to worry concerning it dying on your wrist halfway through the day if you've begun with a full tank.Unlike practically every other smartwatch on the marketplace, the Apple Watch still doesn't supply an always-on display screen, nevertheless, so it does not actually inform you the moment until you touch the display or raise your wrist. It's still very ironic that the thing the Apple Watch is the most awful at is being an Smart Watch Android Gsm Arena
real time-keeping device.But other than that, there's really little to grumble about with the Apple Watch Collection 4, as well as it's quickly the very best choice for apple iphone users.Of program, we're detailing the Forerunner below as a smartwatch, as well as Garmin has included respectable smarts. Health and fitness tracking is fantastic and also Garmin Link is a suitable environment for wellness data from actions as well as For that reason, we do not believe LTE smartwatches are a good buy for a lot of individuals-- it's far easier and also more affordable to just maintain your phone with you as well as use your watch as a type of remote control for the phone in your pocket or bag.Which smartwatch you select is going to be based entirely on what phone you have, so our choices are damaged down right into the best alternative for iPhone customers and also the finest one for Android owners.The Apple Watch Collection 4 is as close to smartwatch excellence as we've seen to day-- it's a powerful and also flexible wearable that can offer a significant range of functions. Truthfully, I do not mind that at all, smartwatches are all about being simplistic in my opinion, and also the S928 Sports Watch does a terrific job at that.Where it does not have a display, the S928 Sports Watch makes up by giving some of the best functions that you can want in a smartwatch. In order to make points much easier for the visitor, I am detailing down the functions below.Heart Rate Screen: The watch comes with a heart rate monitor that is able to offer genuine time heart rate updates.GPS: The S928 Sports Watch also come with a developed in 3D accelerometer +gyroscope3D, allowing the individuals to be able to track every relocation they make throughout their exercise regime.Outdoor Information: The watch is likewise qualified of keeping a document of the exterior information, suggesting that you obtain real time updates on exactly how the weather condition is outdoors. The Galaxy Watch does function with both apples iphone and also Android gadgets, however it's best with an Android phone, as well as particularly, one made by Samsung.The Galaxy Watch has most all of the attributes you 'd anticipate on a modern smartwatch: GPS, touchscreen, multi-day battery life, voice control, mobile payments, and also heart rate tracking. For that reason, we do not assume LTE smartwatches are a great buy for a lot of individuals-- it's far much easier and also more affordable to just maintain your phone with you and use your watch as a type of remote control for the phone in your pocket or bag.Which smartwatch you choose is going to be based completely on what phone you possess, so our picks are broken down right into the finest option for iPhone individuals and the finest one for Android owners.The Apple Watch Series 4 is as close to smartwatch perfection as we have actually seen to date-- it's a flexible as well as powerful wearable that can use a massive array of functions. While those looking for an easy smartwatch might find the Series 4's big selection of physical fitness, wellness as well as linked features to be excessive, it's able to change between fitness tracker, sporting activities enjoy as well as severe health device at will, making it a major group pleaser.Apple's newest View enhancement provides us the most dramatic design change given that the original, bringing brand-new 40mm and also 44mm dimensions (in comparison to 38mm as well as 42mm). Honestly, I do not mind that at all, smartwatches are all about being simplified in my point of view, and the S928 Sports Watch does a fantastic job at that.Where it lacks a screen, the S928 Sports Watch makes up by giving some of the ideal features that you can want in a smartwatch. In order to make points simpler for the visitor, I am listing down the attributes below.Heart Rate Screen: The watch comes with a heart price screen that is able to provide genuine time heart price updates.GPS: The S928 Sports Watch likewise come with a developed in 3D accelerometer +gyroscope3D, allowing the customers to be able to track every step they make throughout their exercise regime.Outdoor Information: The watch is likewise capable of keeping a document of the exterior data, meaning that you obtain real time updates on how the weather problem is outside. Smart Watch Android Gsm Arena
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Nicholas Kraemer
Some Recollections of W11 Children’s Opera
Nicholas Kraemer 1983
I used to conduct a small orchestra of children aged 8-14 which met in Chris Ramsey’s home in Clarendon Road, and which Serena Hughes organized along with Felicity and Royd Barker and countless others. After a few rehearsals, Serena confided to me that she had always wanted to put on Benjamin Britten’s Noyes Fludde and would I conduct it?
I had done very little conducting in those days but said I would — not realising quite what a complicated piece geographically it was to conduct. One quickly became aware of how difficult communicating a beat to the back of a church could be (the Kyries of the animals marching up the aisle two-by-two would always start almost half a beat behind). The most astonishing thing about The Fludde was the organisation.
Here was a company of 100 or so children, plus set builders, costume makers (wonderful masks they were too), children’s orchestra, professional musicians, producer, designer etc etc… all without having to make one phone call — that was a luxury for me and a large phone bill for Serena.
The performances were leisurely: some compared them most favourably with Aldeburgh’s great tradition. Flushed with success we could not wait to do another opera, so we commissioned Christopher Bowers Broadbent who played the organ in Noyes Fludde to write one. This was the Pied Piper of Hamlyn which we rehearsed in the gardens of St James’ Church as it was summer and performed in Holland Park Open Air Theatre. After that we decided that two operas in one year was excessive, so the decision was taken to commission John Gardner to write one for Christmas 1973.
This was Bel and the Dragon the apocryphal story of Daniel. I remember a journey to London Zoo at 7:00 am to record 90 seconds of lion-roar. When it came to that moment in the opera our lions sounded far more terrifying than they looked. By this time we had more children in the group than we could properly cope with – but as always a solution was found. Our dragon had approximately 40 tiny pattering feet.
It was about this time that most schools were putting on Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and as we had no composer to turn to, we opted for it the following year, in the full West End version, rock band and all. This introduced electric guitars and rock percussion to West 11 Opera which pushed the decibels up to a level hitherto unknown in the church. Fears of drowning the singing were expressed passionately but when it came to it the children, unbelievably, found even more power in their lungs.
The bass guitarist in A Girl and the Unicorn was Daryl Runswick who was asked to write the next one. This was entirely secular and told 9 stories from various parts of the world.
Dreamtime was our only ethnic opera. In 1980 we had once again run out of composers and decided to do a small scale Nativity piece by Herbert Chapell, already published, called Mak the Sheep Stealer together with Britten’s Ceremony of Carols which Royd Barker conducted. In the latter piece, some of the older children had an opportunity to concentrate on some fairly complex singing without the distraction of production moves.
For the next opera the setting moved to Czechoslovakia. Timothy Kraemer wrote a blood curdling story, Good King Wenceslas, but with effective music.
George Fenton who is nationally famous for the 9 O’Clock news jingle collaborated with Timothy (the librettist this time) in composing Birthday, a story about gang warfare in Bethlehem in the year 0 with the nativity quietly going on in the background. It was this year also that I became involved in the formation of the cousin of the W11 Children’s Opera, The Dublin Children’s Opera. The week after the Birthday performances I went to Dublin to conduct the new group in Good King Wencelas which was an extraordinary déjà vu experience.
In 1976 my brother Timothy who wrote the libretto for Bel was asked to write the music for the next one. He and Peter Dickinson the prolific W11 author chose 9 parables and turned them into Like This Like That. Visually this was an amazing achievement. Costumes and set had always been, and still are, a very strong feature of the opera. The sight of a life size camel dancing up the aisle provoked spontaneous applause at each performance.
Timothy also wrote the next opera The Adventures of Jonah. For the voice of the whale, we had a very deep bass voice – Harry Edwards — whose Linda had sung Mrs Noah in 1971. This was sung from inside an extremely amiable looking whale. After Jonah, Serena Hughes passed the general administration on to other shoulders. Her sister Corinna and the Barkers took over; they had all been very much in evidence up till then although Serena has remained in touch by playing the viola in all operas since then and this year she has come back as rehearsal pianist, one of her original roles.
For our next opera we moved away from the Bible for the first time since the Pied Piper. Steven Oliver’s A Girl and the Unicorn raised a few eyebrows because of its psychological content. Its main character was a very disturbed little girl. There were, however, some rousing tunes and for the interlude between the acts, he wrote some very touching parables which helped to get past the censors.
This brings us to 1983 and Chris Gunning’s space opera Rainbow Planet. For this we have a “home” production team: myself (I consider W11 to be a second home for me, during the autumn at any rate); Sue Best; Jenny Lazell, who had masterminded so many operas before; and Catharine Marr-Johnson, who has taken on the organisation of the opera for the last four years – her unflagging energy and business-like approach have set the style for the group.
One very important feature of all the operas from Noyes Fludde to the Rainbow Planet is the inclusion of at least one number in which the audience join. This for me says an enormous amount about the spirit in which W1 1 operas are done. From first to last it is an achievement of a community involving so many varied talents in an atmosphere of good will, from the person who bolts the scaffolding together to the composer. It is, I think, unique and there should never be any reason for it to stop.
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Leon Camier to sit out both the UK and US rounds
Tuesday, 2 July 2019 14:00 GMT
Still lacking strength in his injured left shoulder, Camier will focus on fully recovering for the Official Portimao Test at the end of August. The British rider won’t be replaced at the UK and US rounds
Despite having made further progress with his recovery after the left shoulder injury sustained in Imola, Leon Camier (Moriwaki Althea Honda Racing) will sit out both the Prosecco DOC UK Round at Donington Park and the Geico U.S. Round at Laguna Seca.
As he declared, the British rider attempted to do a few laps on a Supermoto but noticed that he is still experiencing pain, and lack of strength in his injured left shoulder: “I’m really disappointed to have to miss two more rounds, despite having definitely made good progress, which my doctor is actually really happy with. I’ve now recovered full range of motion and have started to do strength exercises already. Unfortunately, this is where I’m still having some problems. I attempted to complete a few laps on a Supermoto but can see that I still don’t have enough strength or stability when braking, as well as still experiencing noticeable pain when doing so”.
In Jerez and Misano it was Yuki Takahashi to step in as substitute rider for the Brit, and at the Pata Riviera di Rimini Round the Japanese rider was able to take the first top ten finish result of the season for the Moriwaki Althea Honda Team, as he finished in eighth position in a wet Race 1.
But for the UK and the US events, the team have announced that they won’t be replacing Camier. However, the British rider is confident to be able to recover in time for the Official WorldSBK Test, that will take place at Portimao from 24th-25th August: “The doctor is confident I will fully recover with no need for surgery. I look forward to being back for the Portimao test in August where we can take time to calmly work on bike development and set-up”.
Follow Camier’s recovery and the back-to-back WorldSBK rounds with the WorldSBK VideoPass.
Yamaha reveals all-new 2020 YZF-R1 at Laguna Seca
Davies topples Rea to end day one on top, Bautista finds pace!
A script Hollywood couldn’t write: Rea victorious as Bautista crashes!
Dominant Davies takes emotional first win of 2019!
Tight Tissot Superpole sees Rea on pole, Ducati challenge strengthens!
Rea avoids carnage for 80th win in Tissot Superpole Race!
First session goes the way of Rea in Monterey!
Top job for Toprak: Razgatlioglu romps to Laguna Seca success!
Rea vs Bautista: another WorldSBK championship swing!
There’s hope for Bautista: "Mathematically, it is still possible!"
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FA CUP 4TH ROUND REPLAY
Wrexham 4 Newcastle United 1
Below is how both teams reported on the game in the programmes from their next matches. Click the images to enlarge.
25/02/1978 Newcastle United 0 Ipswich Town 1
Newcastle didn't have a home game between the initial draw and subsequent replay against Wrexham. The first opportunity for them to report on these games was in the programme for the game against Ipswich at the end of February.
However, most of the editorial from that game concentrated on the problems the long hard winter was causing. When they did mention the defeat to Wrexham it was in an article describing how Sunderland coped after being beaten by Wrexham 12 months earlier!
The programme contained 24 pages and measured 18.5cm x 24cm.
11/02/1978 Wrexham 1 Chesterfield 1
"Our FA Cup replay against Newcastle lived up to expectations on Monday and we played as we normally do against First Division sides."
These were the words of Wrexham manager Arfon Griffiths, clearly getting used to getting the better of teams from the top division!
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You are here: Home / Archives for Observer
June 27, 2019 By Observer Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Archive
“The Spy Behind Home Plate”
Glove, Mask, Cloak-and-Dagger
3 & ½ popcorns
By Michael S. Goldberger
‘Get your scorecards. Get your scorecards. Can’t tell the spies from the conspirators without a scorecard.’
Such was just one of my thoughts after seeing filmmaker Aviva Kempner’s fascinating, incredible and rather mind blowing documentary about Morris ‘Moe’ Berg, Major League catcher, Princeton (B.A.) and Columbia (LL.D.) graduate, speaker of 12 languages who studied Sanskrit at the Sorbonne and, oh, almost forgot, spy for the OSS. Psst….He was assigned to help undermine the Nazi atomic bomb program during WWII. But what drives you crazy as you partake of Ms. Kempner’s scholarly and entertaining treasure trough of the superbly assembled puzzle that was Newark, New Jersey’s, Moe Berg, is, how about all the stuff we probably don’t know about him?
It’s pretty nutty in its obscurity…that every schoolkid in America doesn’t know who this unsung hero was. OK…by the very nature of Moe Berg’s life outside the baselines, it was all hush, hush. But one would think as you witness the extraordinary unraveling of the many sides of the catcher who, by the way, once went 117 games behind the plate without committing an error, that his exploits would by now be legend. I mean, gee, one of the Kardashians has an affair with a pop star and we practically declare a national holiday. As I once heard an old philosopher sitting on a soda crate in front of a candy store back in the old neighborhood say, “Something is upside down.”
But that’s part of the awesomeness that is “The Spy Behind Home Plate,” the proof of the pudding that there is the surface world where everyone is just pretty much oblivious, doing the bread and circus thing, whereas in little known, unheralded nooks and hollers of the human experience, there are folks doing the heavy lifting for our species. I’m sure hoping some of them are hard at work right now. It’s certainly time for the brave figure on the white horse to enter stage left.
Moe once had tea with Einstein, and the scientist kidded that he’d teach him the theory of relativity if Moe taught him the concept and finer points of baseball. He also enjoyed a friendship with Babe Ruth when he was part of a goodwill tour to Japan, wherein our ballplayers volunteered to help teach the ins and outs of our national pastime to the college players there. But if anyone was really paying attention back then in 1934, perhaps they’d have given pause to Mr. Berg’s attendance in the Land of the Rising Sun.
You see, while I’ll forever be impressed by anyone who ascends to the Major Leagues, by baseball’s highly rigorous standards, Moe was just an average backstop. And when fellow Washington Senator, outfielder Dave Harris, was reminded that his teammate spoke several languages, he said, “Yeah…and he can’t hit in any of them.” Thus it only makes sense that anyone with a passing interest in both baseball and international intrigue would have seen the curiosity in Moe being picked to join the likes of future Hall of Famers Earl Averill, Lou Gehrig, Charlie Gehringer, Babe Ruth, Lefty Gomez, etc. Suffice it to note, this may have been Moe’s first assignment for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services). Psst, again…he came back with pictures of important Japanese installations that were later used in the Doolittle Raid.
Director Kempner, who has previously treated audiences to documentaries such as “Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg” (2009), “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg” (1998) and “Partisans of Vilna” (1986), may have been, in another life, a super sleuth herself…so astute is her sense of deduction. In cracking the code of the otherwise reserved, humble and handsome repository of knowledge that was Moe Berg, she once again proves she’s a connector of the dots extraordinaire. But it’s the stuff she pulls from the chasm of the unknown that best distinguishes her documentary creds. When she plucks a previously undiscovered plum out of the perplexing pie for the world to now know, it appears neither specious nor a stretch of the imagination.
Kempner’s erudite rummaging has us repetitively musing, “How many other anonymous and/or unhailed heroes who have lived and died do we have to thank for the freedoms we enjoy?” It’s a bit overwhelming.
On a personal level, considering how things ultimately turned out for Moe, we are a bit saddened by his astonishing tale, unsure if he nonetheless found lasting happiness. He wasn’t the type to complain. Hence, in decoding the big secret that was “The Spy Behind Home Plate,” we take the occasion to sing our own silent paean to him and console ourselves with the thought that, just as in baseball, there isn’t any crying in espionage.
“The Spy Behind Home Plate,” not rated, is an mTuckman release directed by Aviva Kempner, starring documentary footage of Morris Berg and a variety of people in the worlds of both baseball and international intrigue. Running time: 101 minutes
Filed Under: Web extras
Godzilla vs. Elton John
4 popcorns
I actually wanted to see the new “Godzilla.” Not that I’m a big fan of the franchise. Maybe it’s the kid in me…or perhaps because the early stuff was so hokey and so terribly dubbed that it was entertaining. Composed of poorly constructed miniatures and the barest of plots, it was probably the hyper suspension of disbelief engendered in us moppets that stirred our imaginations more than the calamitous perpetrations themselves. My curiosity was up. Hence, as the time approached to decide if it’d be “Rocketman” or “Godzilla” this week, the Japanese nomenclature became my recurring word of the day. “Gojira! Gojira!” I repeated in anticipation of the monster’s approach. It would sort of be like going back to the old neighborhood to see how things may have modernized. “Gojira” I murmured. But then I punked out.
Yeah, the adult said to the adolescent, ‘Lose the indulgence. ‘Rocketman’ is more significant than a plastic behemoth that levels entire cityscapes with one giant wag of his tale. Who needs that, anyway?’ So I saw “Rocketman.” Such are life-changing decisions. While certainly not as important as whether to become a film critic or Secretary of State, choices do have their consequences and, serendipitously, this latest selection also worked out just fine. Harvesting edifying revelations and soulful divulgences galore, director Dexter Fletcher’s biopic tells you everything you didn’t even think to ask about Elton John …that is, unless you’re a devout aficionado of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite rocker.
The biggest surprise is that Elton John as most of us have perceived him, major songwriter and performer extraordinaire, is technically only one-half of the illustrious hit-making dynamo that gave us iconic tunes like the one for which this superbly entertaining film is titled. Think Lerner and Loewe, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lennon and McCartney. While “Rocketman” doesn’t delve into lyricist Bernie Taupin’s biographical details the way it so pervasively deconstructs Mr. John, it dramatically informs that this silent partner was the wordsmith and collaborating catalyst who made it possible for Elton to realize his musical genius.
Attaching the innumerable, chart-topping songs strewn throughout the screenplay to the often tragic path Elton John traversed on his way to international stardom, director Fletcher, working from a screenplay by Lee Hall, amazes us with the prolificacy of his subject. But while the traditional storytelling style oft used in movies about composers is familiar, there is an individualistic verve that cuts right to the nerve of who this film says Elton John is. Alas, the phenom is the once unloved little boy of absurdly selfish and clueless parents. Oh sure, you think, it’d be great to have all that money and fame, Gojira no longer on your mind. But assuming you had a great childhood, would you trade it for Elton John’s debatable consolation prize?
Sharing a bit of DNA from any and all motion pictures about the rocky road to rock-‘n’-roll eminence, there’s the required amount of limousines, disingenuous lovers, corrupt agents, booze, drugs and the ever-fearful insecurity that comes of sudden success. But while such is afforded compulsory lip service, the central theme is neither the wiles, joys nor seductive decadences of showbiz, but rather, the Rocketman’s relentless and dishearteningly unsuccessful search for love. All of which makes us give a hoot when he falls victim to the shiny temptations …which he does with as much masochistic efficacy as any of his peers. Taron Egerton is so award-worthy credible, both in voice and thespic impersonation, that we nearly forget it’s not Elton John playing himself.
Here’s the deal. Despite the global cynicism that’s concealing the better essence of humanity like the candy shell on a Jordan almond, our heartfelt interest belies the cold protective mechanism of the sardonic worldview foisted on us by misanthropes and profiteers. This film is a big hit. And what’s it about? Love! People liking and needing each other…a lot. Quite a commodity, you know. Gadzooks, man…the poets have been telling us about it for millennia. But the firmest truth of it was permanently jolted into my brain during that rare, memorable instance when I had a drink with Mom. Despondent over my recent loss of a battle in the war between the sexes, I questioningly agonized over the power of love. Intent on dispelling any uncertainties I held, Dora Goldberger looked me in the face and succinctly informed, “People kill for it.” Aside from wondering, ‘Wow, where did that come from?’ I knew I was now playing in the majors.
Thus, because of its celebrated songbook and heartrending meditation on the search for love, I emphatically endorse “Rocketman” before setting my moviegoing trajectory for “Godzilla II: King of the Monsters,” and wonder if I’ll construe ‘tis also amour that motivates the beast.
“Rocketman,” rated R, is a Paramount Pictures release directed by Dexter Fletcher and stars Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell and Richard Madden. Running time: 121 minutes
June 6, 2019 By Observer Leave a Comment
Three wishes. It sure seems like a lot. One would think you could solve all the world’s problems as well as a few of your own if a genie granted them to you. But after mulling director Guy Ritchie’s adaptation of the “One Thousand and One Nights” Arabian folktale Disney first treated us to in 1992, I’m still not certain how I’d proceed. Are you sure you can’t wish for more wishes? Yeah, I know, I know. That’s the way it has to be. You see, it’s all part of a built-in lesson about hopes, aspirations and the human condition, brought to the silver screen here in fine fettle.
Rated PG and boasting a bevy of positive beliefs, with special emphasis on the leadership roles it passionately affirms are rightfully waiting for the fairer sex to assume, it’s just the sort of film I’d want to take my daughter, Erin, to when she was little. Surrounding and intertwining the ennobling messages with engaging music, several wittily conveyed performances and bedazzling art direction, it all makes for a fulfilling experience at the Bijou. Plus, for folks like me who are always looking for parodic jabs at our current powers that be, replete with a happy path to extrication from their besmirching of all that is good and decent, like the commercials for Prego proudly asserted, it’s in there, too.
Fact is, this age old tale, with roots speculated to emanate from both Chinese and Arabian cultures, brims with political science theory that, alas and alack, never grows old. In this permutation, the elderly Sultan (David Negahban) bemoans having no male heir to his throne. Thus he falls vulnerable to the evil, inveigling spell of his Grand Vizier, Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), who not only wants the old dude’s job, but the hand of his comely daughter, Jasmine, effectively portrayed by Naomi Scott. Making no bones about it, not just yet, except in melodic soliloquy which essentially intones ‘I am woman, hear me roar,’ Jasmine is confident she’d be a sultan extraordinaire and a godsend to the good citizens of Agrabah.
Of course this Grand Vizier doing his Rasputin/Sherriff of Nottingham riff on government overthrow just won’t do…not if Jasmine and Aladdin, a clever street urchin masquerading as a prince courtesy of one rub of the magic lamp, have anything to say about it. Though at first led to believe that the apple of his eye is but her majesty’s handmaiden, our title hero, invigoratively played by Mena Massoud, soon agrees with the princess that she isn’t just chopped liver, and that there’s no reason why the royal succession should shun her. But as the Sultan reminds, the constitution says it’s a no-no. While you have to give His Majesty credit for revering the document before then convincing him to amend the chauvinist rule for the good of his kingdom, we can’t help but reflect on how our own grand document is being marginalized.
Whereas “Aladdin” has a brilliantly astute genie to intercede and direct wishful traffic, it occurs that we in the 50 states might benefit from some wise and altruistic intervention. And truth be told, I’d be all for Will Smith, who plays the genie with scene-stealing aplomb, to step from the screen, “Purple Rose of Cairo”-style, and give us a bit of a hand out here…perhaps toss his hat in the ring, and then, at an opportune moment during the Big Debate, flourish some of his genie powers. That’d give ‘em what for.
Such is how my mind wandered as I watched “Aladdin’s” richly filled treasure chest of enlightened dreams….each scene in one way or another aimed at convincing us that hope prevails. The idea is, once people make up their minds to do the righteous thing, it’s only a matter of time before they’re on the road to realizing their profound potential.
Note that history has been perennially punctuated with fables of every stripe to remind us of our inalienable rights, just in case some narcissist comes along and tries to convince us that we exist only to adulate him. The would-be oppressor invariably promises a great future as only he and he alone can provide, right then and there quashing any thoughts of a glorious destiny courtesy of our own self-determination. It is a dark part of human nature that must be battled regularly.
Hence, a cheery, uplifting illumination like “Aladdin,” both spiritually beneficial and a reminder of our civic responsibility, should be seen at least twice a year, or every 5,000 negative thoughts…whichever comes first. A knowledgeable populace with the commonweal at heart, appearing en masse at the polls, is ostensibly as powerful as any genie’s lamp. And there, as all tyrants fear, is the rub.
“Aladdin,” rated PG, is a Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Will Smith, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott. Running time: 128 minutes
“John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum”
May 30, 2019 By Observer Leave a Comment
How Can I Kill Thee? Let me Count the Ways
1 popcorn
There are two things in this world that really confound me. Nope…it’s not wondering what the secret of life is. I’ve got that figured. It’s to get a Ferrari. And it isn’t how many angels can you fit on the head of a pin, either. Fifty-six, I reckon…same as DiMaggio’s hitting streak. No…the first of my dual quandary is, how anyone in America isn’t repulsed by the administration currently besmirching the sanctity of democracy down in Foggy Bottom? The second dilemma that really has me scratching my head is why on Earth someone would want to see director Chad Stahelski’s “John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum?” I concur with Hesh Horn, my longtime moviegoing companion, that this ignominious, violence-saturated cauldron of ugly swill should be listed in The Guinness Book of Records for possessing the greatest number of individually perpetrated killings in any one movie. It is mind-boggling.
Of course, parsing it all out, citizens used to scamper for tickets to the Roman Coliseum to see lions eat Christians. And while it’s not as openly popular as it once was in the U.S., I betcha there aren’t more than three degrees of separation between your Uncle Mel and someone who knows where there’s a good cockfight Saturday night. Yeah, yeah, it’s some sort of recessive gene that goes back to our days in the primordial mud, way before Shakespeare, Groucho Marx and Cole Porter illustrated that there are much nicer amusements than watching two pelt-attired cavemen try to snap off each other’s heads. But I tell you, Skip, I’m a bit tired of making excuses for the rather patchy evolutionary trip we humans are taking to that ultimate goal of becoming a breed of humanistic menschen.
But worse than that despondency is the gnawing realization that the same percentage of folks unconcerned with the current yoke wrapped around the neck of our republic isn’t really into the idea of a greater destiny. Apologists for the Dog-Eat-Dog set contend that one has little time to ponder a higher realm of existence when it’s all they can do to put food on the table. Thus the frightening horror that I fear I’ll see if I lift the rock from this socioeconomic conundrum is that it’s just easier to eat lots of Cheetos, drink massive quantities of beer and watch mind-numbing movies like “John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum” than to be a Braveheart and make all sorts of sacrifices for a beneficent civilization that you may never even live to see.
Adding insult to the societal injury movies like the John Wick franchise commit, this is big business. It has grossed $53 million as of this writing, and it’ll play all summer before going on to the really big money that movies make in the post-theater convenience of our dens. Hey, I like a buck as well as the next guy. But even when the cigarette industry knew it was killing countless millions, they kept us puffing. And now, global warming is discounted, as Mr. Gore assured, as an inconvenient truth. Oh, no way am I saying we should ban films like “John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum.” That’d be agin the 1st Amendment. Actually, its ilk should be displayed in a museum, perhaps next to the torture devices they used in Olde Salem to make witches confess.
And while this concludes the socially conscious, ranting diatribe portion of the review, astute readers will note that there hasn’t been a smidgen of the film’s plot divulged yet. Fact is, there’s really no need. First off, John Wick devotees couldn’t care less what a critic from among the Great Unwashed has to say about their cherished snake pit of entertainment. Secondly, there isn’t much to tell…at least not that I could grok. But lest the Pulitzer Committee cites the one time I didn’t describe a plot to deny me their brass ring, I comply in the next paragraph.
Keanu Reeves’s title character, an assassin extraordinaire, is on the run for slaying a colleague without authorization from the International Assassin’s Guild. Tsk, tsk. But while employing a veritable cast of thousands worthy of a Cecil B. DeMille epic to delete him, the home office is flummoxed. From the ubiquitous, point blank shooting of skulls to slicing bloodthirsty adversaries off their speeding motorcycles with a samurai sword, the only thing that perhaps keeps Mr. Wick from employing every possible way to end the lives of his pursuers is the brevity of a two-hour feature film. All of which suggests that if our executioner were to one day write his memoir, he might title it with a variation on John Barrymore’s fabled lament by bemoaning, “So many people to kill, so little time.”
“John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum,” rated R, is a Summit Entertainment release directed by Chad Stahelski and stars Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry and Mark Dacascos. Running time: 130 minutes
Filed Under: Archive Tagged With: pop
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Home / Beautiful Women / Originating From Melbourne, This Lovely Pop Star Is Now Hitting The ‘Big Time’ In The USA
Originating From Melbourne, This Lovely Pop Star Is Now Hitting The ‘Big Time’ In The USA
Lannah Sawers-Diggins October 12, 2014
And who is she? Enter KATJA GLIESON, a survivor of bullying and now proving to the world that such adversities just cannot win – not if you are determined rise above them. Katja is a growing international woman who is rapidly gaining attention for her original music and videos and superb talent – and she’s gorgeous to boot and a thoroughly nice person.
An actor and musician, Katja says she has always wanted to be in entertainment and has always done this in some form or another. But – and this is very hard to imagine – at one stage was actually very large and this caused feelings that she would not be allowed to be an entertainer. Thankfully, for all of us, she realised that her dreams had nothing to do with her size and that people of all shapes and sizes are allowed to pursue their dreams.
Katja does mention that she reached a very large size and was constantly teased because of this. Not just physical though, she was hunted out – daily – and then punched in the face. Her so-called friends used to push her into brick walls. She was also pushed into garbage bins as well as the boys’ toilets. As she says, not the best childhood memories. And, sadly, even though the weight has now gone, she is still being bullied online – it continues. People who obviously have nothing better to do, to say nothing of being just a tad jealous, actually make up profiles and say awful things about Katja. And the inevitable does happen. Some men try to bully her into having sex with them. “It breaks my heart that people feel so down about themselves that they have to infect someone. In some ways I feel that’s worse than what happened when I was a child.”
This amazing young talent also admits that she cannot imagine how difficult it must be to combat this issue and agrees that, sadly, due to technology, it’s getting worse. “We have internet bullies and trolls as well as the bullies at school.” But Katja does believe that the governments are trying, but that, perhaps, they are not quite on the right path. She then tells us about a run company with no government funding – it brings huge, amazing, theatrical rock concerts to schools along with big sets, lights, sound equipment etc. The children love it. And the themes that they carry are generally relating to bullying – Katja explains that ‘Alpha Shows’ encourages the audience to help the lead character by searching within themselves. It is about being responsible for your own emotions and having empathy. She also feels that she would not be where she is today if not for this show. It helped her to overcome most of what happened to her.
When asked if she feels that there is anything further that the Governments and schools worldwide could do to help decrease bullying, she says, Pure and simple: “Oh, that’s easy. The government should get behind ‘Alpha Shows’ and support them. Make sure every school has their shows every year.” She adds that many schools have already started to develop a health and well-being programs but this will get them over the line.
And her advice to someone who is currently suffering through this nightmare? “First of all, I am so sorry to anyone who is going through any type of bullying or abuse. It is a terrible thing that is completely unfair and it should not happen. The simplest way to explain is that it has nothing to do with you! You are wonderful and amazing. It all has to do with the bully. The bully is the one who is in so much pain that they have no idea how to express it but to lash out at the first person who triggers their fears and anger.” She continues by suggesting that victims try to understand the bullies.
Very wise words
This rising talent has appeared in numerous short films in both Australia and the USA, including being the lead female in an indie feature film called ‘Blockhouse Blues and the Elmore Beast’ – in which she worked alongside Marcus Graham. Not sure who is luckier to work with who there!! This film also featured one of her early songs. Katja adds that she also has a series called: ‘Terminium City’ “which is like a television series with music videos. A whole new concept that has been nominated and won many USA film festivals’. Katja explains that she has also had the privilege to headline ‘LA Pride’ with Azealia Banks and Jennifer Hudson as well as working with Bonnie McKee, Karmin, Betty Who and Rita Ora in ‘Capital Pride’.
As for her own goals and future? Katja explains that she is currently doing a concert series with P.A.C.E. Shows for summer – called ‘Summer Night Lights’ – entertainment for families conducted in parks. Food and drinks are provided. It is organised in conjunction with the LAPD in an effort to stop gang violence during the summer. Another project was to perform with OMG Girls for the All Stars Celebrity Basketball Game at the mid America Centre.
Watch out world – this lady is also going places.
FaceBook – www.facebook.com/katjamusic
Twitter – www.twitter.com@katjaglieson
Instagram – www.instagram.com@katjaglieson
Website – www.katjaglieson.com
Events – www.katlaglieson.com
About Lannah Sawers-Diggins
I am a married Mum from Western Australia and while I do work part time for a dietitian, I am also a published author in my own right. Along with being a photographer and journalist – and lots of other things. I am passionate about life – while I am middle aged I do feel that I am ageing backwards – most of the time. Most of my life I have just been ‘coasting along’ – almost veging, I guess – up until a few years ago when I had an ‘epiphany’. I suddenly found myself being ‘forced’ to do something I have always wanted to do – but never known how to. Have books published. Seriously, how do you have books published? For many reasons I pursued this and some years later have two published titles to my name and currently working on four more. The research for three of them is something I am absolutely thriving on – can’t get enough. Yes, I have my hiccups but generally just look at them, think of another way, go around and on. Onward and upward. In a word I absolutely love writing – I am passionate about it. To the stage where I am probably really painful about it.
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A Different Kind Of Grandma
Inspirational Author Will Blow Your Sox Off!
Good Things Do Come in Small Packages
Human Rights Activist, Monica Perrett, Simply Keeps Fighting
It gives me very great pleasure, to say nothing of pride, to introduce a woman who is all the above and more and also my friend of some years’ standing. Please meet aged care worker, Monica Perrett, mum to six and grandmum to one. A real battler. Monica says, she has always supported the underdog and fights for what she believes is right. And, believe me, I have watched her, albeit from afar, and she is all that she says she is.
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Columns : The New Bahamian - Joseph Gaskins Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM
A Brief Easter Message from the Less-Than-Religious
By Joseph Gaskins
Apr 13, 2012 - 12:31:25 PM
If my memory serves me correctly, there is no holier time for traditional Christians than Easter. From Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday, Christians celebrate the miracle of salvation gained by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is this very salvation, that which spares us from Hell eternal, which makes living a Christian life paramount. Indeed, so important is this salvation that we Bahamians have endeavored to fashion our nation in the image of Christianity—giving the principles of Christianity primacy, leaning on the wisdom of Christian religious leaders, and ensuring that our political authorities are all practicing Christians. For us, Easter is not only a religious holiday; we can say it is even a political one.
In a world where the battle between religiosity and secularism seemingly rages on (but in actuality where a resurgence of religious fundamentalism is undeniably the trend), I would gather that most Bahamians imagine our nation as 700 islands of Christianity in a sea of profane popular culture on the verge of being submerged in its rising tide. Among the many threats to our way of life, in recent months religious leaders have turned the spotlight on pornography , gambling and a “ three-pack special demon combo ” plaguing our country. All worrisome dangers…meanwhile, in Grand Bahama, significant numbers of high school kids are getting hooked on cough syrup partially to “escape a seemingly unhappy reality.”
For most, these social ills are the result of a breakdown in the family. Rev. Mario Moxie suggested at the Democratic National Alliance’s Townhall Meeting on Family and Social Development that as the family goes, so too does the nation. Part of the problem for Moxie is that parents are absent, after all God never intended for women to work outside of the home. There was no mention of how God feels about a capitalist economic system that gives women few options other than working in order for their families to survive or whether a Christian nation should implement a living-wage so people who work can actually afford to live decent lives. That’s just your regular dose of patriarchal hegemony; the same hegemony that makes marital-rape a controversial issue in a country where women are most at danger in their own homes.
The truth is that the Bahamian family has always existed in diverse and varying forms based on racial and class social norms. The appeal to a time when the nuclear family reigned supreme in our Bahamaland is middle-class nationalist mythology—any historical work detailing the history of the Bahamian family illustrates this clearly.
Despite prayer in school, national prayer breakfasts, churches on almost every corner, services on every radio station, Christian-biased religious education classes in public schools, ministers’ command of the print-media, pastors influence in politics and the other ways in which church and state are intertwined in the Bahamian national context we are observing the failure of both.
When you look out of your window, as you read the newspapers or watch the news, what you’re seeing is society ill-equipped for the complications of life in modernity—a horse and buggy nation in a Lamborghini world.
While we argue about gambling, porn and drugs in the streets; while political propaganda machines tell voters to beware of “impending” same-sex marriage legislation, in your own home, right next to your anointing olive oil, is the latest chemical high.
Tell me, what kind of cognitive dissonance is required for us to take the streets and even fight for men whose effects on our lives as a people is debatable, when we do not fight for the men in our own homes—the men who are failing in our schools, populating Her Majesty’s Fox Hill Prison and being slaughtered in the streets in growing numbers each year?
We would so easily incarcerate and even hang our sons, while allowing our political high priests, themselves imbued with near messianic qualities by their followers, to sweep us up into pagan revelry with their empty sermons at party rallies and “grill-and-chills” only to find ourselves in another five years at the feet of a deity bereft of any will or power to fundamentally change our condition: the “golden calf” of Bahamian party politics.
I will not challenge the Christian claim to ultimate salvation through the one true religion, not in this article at least. Instead, I want to suggest that today, during this election season, we should be careful not to be drawn into the false religion of empty party politics that can offer no salvation at all. Indeed, we have begun to circle around our own version of the golden calf. I imagine there being three high priests attending this iridescent beast. And, while these priests may represent the different denominations of this perilous religious exercise, when all is said and done their reliance on the golden calf is clear. Whichever of these communities of faith come to dominate, we end up at the feet of a cold, metallic, empty idol that has no real power.
Joey Gaskins is a graduate of Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY with a BA in Politics. He was born in Grand Bahama Island and is currently studying at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) where he has attained his MSc in Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies and has begun a Doctoral Degree in Sociology. Joey also writes for the TheBahamasWeekly.com, Nassau Liberal
www. nassauliberal. webs.com and the Tribune . You can reach him at j.gaskins@lse.ac.uk
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The Politics of Natural Disasters (And the Unnatural Disaster of Politics)
The Way Forward: The Political Value of a Bankrupt Tourism Policy
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Friday 12 July, 2019
Tag archive for ‘Liam Hemsworth’
By Guest Author On Tuesday, June 27th, 2017
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Toledo man, Harold Sasse sentenced 14 years for selling heroin that Resulted in Overdose Death
July 10, 2019, No Comments on Toledo man, Harold Sasse sentenced 14 years for selling heroin that Resulted in Overdose Death
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The Leisurely Life
Home / ArtsCulture / Events / Les Misérables extended again, must close May 1
Les Misérables extended again, must close May 1
3/31/2016 ArtsCulture, Events
One week more.
The new production of Les Misérables currently playing at The Theatre at Solaire has been extended due to overwhelming response from its Manila audience.
Cameron Mackintosh's production of Les Miserables is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel. Adapted by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, it has additional material by James Fenton. The 25th Anniversary Production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell and designed by Matt Kinley. Original costumes are by Andreane Neofitou, additional costumes by Christine Rowland, lighting design by Paule Constable and sound design by Mick Potter. Executive Producer of the international production is Michael Cassel.
Watch Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine sing "I Dreamed A Dream"
The international cast members include Simon Gleeson as Jean Valjean, Earl Carpenter as Javert and Rachelle Ann Go as Fantine. They are joined by Cameron Blakely and Helen Walsh as Monsieur and Madame Thénardier, Kerrie Anne Greenland as Éponine, Paul Wilkins as Marius, Emily Langridge as Cosette and Chris Durling as Enjolras.
Presented in Manila by Smart Infinity. In cooperation with Solaire Resort and Casino. Official carrier Philippine Airlines. Official oean carrier OOCL.
Book your tickets at Ticketworld (02-891-9999). For further informationa, visit www.lesmis.com.ph
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Ferrero Rocher X Vivienne Tam
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PARKROYAL ON PICKERING SINGAPORE
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The Roaring Season Forum
Photos: The Dean Lester Collection - Part 1
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Thread: Photos: The Dean Lester Collection - Part 1
This is Part 1 of an unknown number of Parts of Dean Lester's incredible photo collection. The reason I'm so vague on the size of the collection, is because Dean is slowly rediscovering many of his old photos after several decades, and keeps making new discoveries. How big will it get? Who knows.
Dean was living in Lynwood, California, when he began taking motor racing photos in 1962. Initially his photos were limited to what he could achieve from behind the catch fencing and the from the grandstands at his local track, Riverside. He started out with a Minolta SRT101, but soon realized he needed a longer lens to properly capture the action, so upgraded with a Vivitar zoom. Over time, he got to know Les Richter, the Riverside track owner, which got him into far better places for capturing images, and he spent the next twenty years taking photos for Riverside.
But Dean also ventured far beyond Riverside, including Ontario Speedway, Laguna Seca, Willow Springs, Watkins Glen, Elkhart Lake, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Ascot, and numerous other venues, taking in drag racing, Can-Am, USRRC, Trans-Am, NASCAR, Formula 1, Formula 5000 events, and just about every other division being contested during the 1960s and early '70s. His photos have been published in Sports Car Graphic, Road And Track, Car And Driver, and Stockcar Racing, among others. Dean was also able to get some fantastic track and pit photos, which really capture the era perfectly.
This first part covers mostly USRRC and Can-Am events, largely because these are all Dean has so far rediscovered. For those who don't know, USRRC is the United States Road Racing Championship, created by the SCCA in 1963 for Group 7 sports cars. This was really the precursor to the Can-Am, and continued until 1968. Until the arrival of the Can-Am, the USRRC was probably the most important Group 7 sports car racing series in the world. Its demise really came about because of the Can-Am, as a smaller prize fund meant it didn't attract the superstars of the Can-Am. But it did allow some of the smaller teams to shine.
Anyway, I'll kick this off with various Can-Am and USRRC races, posted in no particular order, largely because this is how I've received them.
One thing that jumps out, is that there are a LOT of photos of Lothar Motschenbacher, who Dean knew well. Lothar was a mainstay in the Can-Am, almost exclusively driving a red car, usually a McLaren, and virtually always with the #11. Lothar was a strong privateer in the series. Not only was he on the grid for the very first Can-Am race at St. Jovite, in 1966, he was also on the grid for the very last Can-Am race at Elkhart Lake, in 1974. He raced a McLaren M1B in 1966, before switching to a Lola T70 in 1967. He then switched back to a McLaren M6B in 1968, and remained loyal to the McLaren brand right to the end. Pictured here is the M6B he raced in 1968, in both USRRC and Can-Am.
1968 USRRC race at Laguna Seca, with Jim Hall in the Chaparral 2G alongside Motchenbacher. In the blue McLaren M6A on the second row is Mark Donohue.
This is likely Hap Sharp, in the second of the Chaparral 2As, in 1965. The track is more than likely Riverside.
Looks to be the Riverside pits. At left, with back to the camera, appears to be Parnelli Jones, talking to a very young Sam Posey, and Motschenbacher on the right.
Dan Gurney, sheltering from the rain in his McLeagle, his heavily modified McLaren M6B. This is likely the 1968 Laguna Seca Can-Am race. Thats Swede Savage, Gurney's young protege, kneeling in right of picture. Savage was tragically killed at Indy in 1973.
Lothar and the Lola T70 he campaigned in 1967.
Dan Gurney's Lola T70 from 1966. Gurney won the Bridgehampton round of the 1966 Can-Am. This photo also shows how Goodyear Bluestreak tyres got their name.
Mike Goth's McLaren M1B. The Can-Am series was massively important to the early growth of the McLaren company. Not only did McLaren generate massive income through prize money and sponsorship, the company also contracted Peter Agg at the Elva/Trojan company to produce McLaren cars for selling to customers. McLarens success as a factory team meant customer sales were always strong, although Lola put up a good fight in the early years.
Note the tall rear spoiler on Goth's McLaren. Neat looking paint scheme too.
Superb pit photo, likely at Riverside. It was really a big sand pit.
How about that for a straight! Riversides long main straight also doubled as a drag strip. Sadly, its no more.
Denny. The tall injector stacks in the background tell me this is 1968.
In early USRRC events, it was common to see front engined cars competing, including Cobras, Corvettes, and Cheetahs. Although Bill Thomas originally planned that the Cheetah be a production car and compete against the Cobra, not enough cars were built, which forced them to run in Group 7 instead. This is the Clarence Dixon Cadillac Cheetah.
Nice young lady cruises her Cobra through the pits.
OK, so in 1968, the McLaren team dominated the Can-Am series in their new M8As, with Denny Hulme eventually winning the championship in chassis M8A-2. In 1969, this car was retained by McLaren and updated to the high-wing 1969 guise and used as a spare by McLaren. It was driven by Dan Gurney to finish third at Michigan, behind McLaren and Hulme after his McLeagle broke, and was also driven by Chris Amon at Laguna Seca when his Ferrari broke. McLaren took over this car late in the season when he crashed his car, and won the 1969 Can-Am.
In 1970, it was sold to Lothar Motschenbacher, who painted it his traditional red with #11, and under the 1970 rules, had to remove the hub mounted rear aerofoil. Motschenbacher raced the car successful in the early 1970 rounds before wrecking it at Elkhart Lake. Then he switched back to the 1969 McLaren M12 customer car he raced in 1969, before ordering a new customer 1970 M8C.
My understanding is that although an M8B and M8C look quite similar, the 8C has much more rounded lower sides to the chassis tub, which makes me think this is the M8A-2 chassis he ran earlier in the season. That being the case, this is the car that ended up in New Zealand in the late 1970s, and eventually restored back to 1968 M8A guise by Duncan Fox and the Bruce McLaren Trust.
Oldfart
Superb shots, with a great mix of the personalities and the cars. Epic shots of Denny and Bruce.
khyndart in CA
Los Olivos, California, 93441
Absolutely agree with Rhys, keep them coming Steve.
I remember at Long Beach in 1975 that Lothar Motschenbacher, had loaned his truck and trailer to Teddy Yip for us to use with the Theodore Race Team.
Great comeradrie back then.
Ken H
Semi-Pro Racer
Wellington, NZ
Fantastic pics and terrific read Steve, really enjoying it. It was such a great era of drivers, racing and development.
Rod Grimwood
This is superb, photos awesome and great write up and history. Look forward to it.
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Tag: MTV
“Avengers: Endgame” Big MTV Movie Awards Winner
David Miller - Jun 18, 2019
SANTA MONICA—The awards show that is mostly voted on by fans was held over the weekend. No, I’m not talking about the Oscars, not...
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“Stranger Things” Big MTV Movie And TV Awards Winner
David Miller - May 8, 2017
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2017 MTV Movie And TV Nominations Unveiled
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HOLLYWOOD—Well, the times are changing people! For the first time in the history of the MTV Movie Awards, the 2017 ceremony will combine TV...
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The White Review
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This issue of The White Review features a roundtable on the subject of housing, marking two years since the Grenfell fire; our participants John Boughton, Seraphima...
The White Review Short Story Prize 2019
Following a record number of entries, we are delighted to announce the shortlist for this year’s Short Story Prize. The selected stories will be judged by Chris Power, Sophie...
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This issue of The White Review features a roundtable on the subject of housing, marking two years since the Grenfell fire; our participants John Boughton, Seraphima Kennedy and Bridget Minamore discuss overcrowding,...
Jennifer Schaffer
Jennifer Schaffer writes about power. Her work has been published in The Baffler, the Paris Review Daily, the TLS, VICE, Literary Hub, and elsewhere in print and online.
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Lily Le Brun
In the light-filled rooms of The Piper Gallery is a painting show that features no paint. Brought together by...
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by Lorene Cary
Selected for 1 Book Club’s Reading List
Publication Date: Feb 04, 1992
Classification: Nonfiction
Imprint: Vintage
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Parent Company: Bertelsmann and Pearson PLC
In 1972 Lorene Cary, a bright, ambitious black teenager from Philadelphia, was transplanted into the formerly all-white, all-male environs of the elite St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, where she became a scholarship student in a "boot camp" for future American leaders. Like any good student, she was determined to succeed. But Cary was also determined to succeed without selling out. This wonderfully frank and perceptive memoir describes the perils and ambiguities of that double role, in which failing calculus and winning a student election could both be interpreted as betrayals of one’s skin. Black Ice is also a universally recognizable document of a woman’s adolescence; it is, as Houston Baker says, "a journey into selfhood that resonates with sober reflection, intellignet passion, and joyous love."
More books like Black Ice may be found by selecting the categories below:
Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional / General
Biography & Autobiography / Women
Tell us what do you think about Black Ice.
Goodreads Reviews for Black Ice
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“Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. ... Scripture Images
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. Publication date: May 9, 2019. Publisher: OpenBible.info. Share Your Faith Products Gifts
and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. "And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of testimony, and the mercy seat upon it, and all the furniture of the tent, the table also and its utensils, and the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering also with all its utensils, and the laver and its stand, the woven garments as well, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, with which to carry on their priesthood; the anointing oil also, and the fragrant incense for the holy place, they are to make them according to all that I have commanded you." The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 'Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Scripture Image
Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. ... Share Your Faith Products Gifts
He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat; one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at the two ends. The cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
Our Gift Shop is full of amazing products that we think you might like that compliment many of our wall arts. All the items in our Gift Shop are made by other companies. When you click on one to purchase you will be directed to Amazon to make the purchase. Please note that those purchases are not covered by our guarantees. All purchases, refunds, exchanges, or service issues must be dealt with through Amazon. However, at no cost to you, we make a small commission when you purchase through our links. We greatly appreciate that support as it allows us to help keep the price on our wall arts down. Thank you in advance for any purchases you make through our Gift Shop. Scripture Images
The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” ... Scripture Images
If you would like to read some Christian 'Poetic' Housewarming Card Verses & Housewarming Poems, click on, 'Christian Housewarming Card Verses'. If you are searching for a particular card verse, then click on, 'Christian Card Verses' where I have many verses categorized for many different occasions. To visit the 'In God's Word' index page, click on the back button below. The index page has links to scriptures categorized on many different topics. Please click on the 'Share With Friends' button above, if you want to send this page to a friend. Remember, there is more Christian poetry in the 'Christian Poetry Pages' section, also Christian Poetry for Special Occasions in the 'Special Occasion Poetry' section. Share Your Faith Products Gifts
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. ... Scripture Image
“You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Scripture Image
If you would like to read some Christian 'Poetic' Housewarming Card Verses & Housewarming Poems, click on, 'Christian Housewarming Card Verses'. If you are searching for a particular card verse, then click on, 'Christian Card Verses' where I have many verses categorized for many different occasions. To visit the 'In God's Word' index page, click on the back button below. The index page has links to scriptures categorized on many different topics. Please click on the 'Share With Friends' button above, if you want to send this page to a friend. Remember, there is more Christian poetry in the 'Christian Poetry Pages' section, also Christian Poetry for Special Occasions in the 'Special Occasion Poetry' section. Scripture Image
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains of prey. The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands. ... Scripture Images
He measured the length of the building along the front of the separate area behind it, with a gallery on each side, a hundred cubits; he also measured the inner nave and the porches of the court. The thresholds, the latticed windows and the galleries round about their three stories, opposite the threshold, were paneled with wood all around, and from the ground to the windows (but the windows were covered), over the entrance, and to the inner house, and on the outside, and on all the wall all around inside and outside, by measurement.read more. Christian Art and Gifts
David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever. And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it. And David gathered together the sons of Aaron and the Levites: of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, with 120 of his brothers; ... Scripture Images
And it will come about in that day, that every place where there used to be a thousand vines, valued at a thousand shekels of silver, will become briars and thorns. People will come there with bows and arrows because all the land will be briars and thorns. As for all the hills which used to be cultivated with the hoe, you will not go there for fear of briars and thorns; but they will become a place for pasturing oxen and for sheep to trample. Share Your Faith Products Gifts
"The house which I am about to build will be great, for greater is our God than all the gods. "But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him? "Now send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass and iron, and in purple, crimson and violet fabrics, and who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled men whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. Christian Art and Gifts
Scripture Wall Art is the leader in the vinyl wall decal industry specializing in Bible Verse Wall Decals, Romantic Love Decals, Motivational Wall Decals, Decals for Children, Family Themed Wall Decals, and even wall decals for the Laundry Room. With over 1200 designs, we probably already have what you want, however, if we don’t, we will be happy to make it for you. Scripture Images
There's no shortage of Father's Day activities to celebrate your favorite guy on his special day, from a father-daughter or father-son getaway to bonding over a few dad-centric tunes. But once the gifts have been exchanged and the brunch has been devoured, one of the best ways to continue the celebrations at home is to plop down on the sofa and share some Father's Day Bible verses together. Wind things down, grab the good book, and tap into your faith by reading up on these short passages about fathers, husbands, and the love of God. Whether you're a son, daughter, or spouse of the man of honor, you can remind him why he's so loved with these inspirational words (or write them in his Father's Day card!). Scripture Image
"You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. "Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. "The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat.read more.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ... Scripture Image
He also made two pillars for the front of the house, thirty-five cubits high, and the capital on the top of each was five cubits. He made chains in the inner sanctuary and placed them on the tops of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates and placed them on the chains. He erected the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right and the other on the left, and named the one on the right Jachin and the one on the left Boaz. Scripture Images
and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. "He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. "He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs. Christian Art and Gifts
He made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. Under it were figures of gourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. Its thickness was a handbreadth. And its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held 3,000 baths. ...
Utilizing crafts and activities can be very helpful to your Sunday School classroom. Children love to create, and take home items to share with their friends and family. Best of all, when you keep your craft thematic with your Bible lesson you’re sending children off with a helpful reminder of the days instruction. Our Bible crafts are designed to make it easy for you to incorporate hands on activity during your lessons. We’ve included preparation suggestions as well as corresponding activities that you can tie in to round out your day. Share Your Faith Products Gifts
Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” Christian Art and Gifts
Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple; they are all the work of skilled men. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” Scripture Image
Of course, we also back our wall arts with our amazing “Goof Proof” guarantee. You can read all about there by clicking on this link GOOF PROOF GUARANTEE. In short, it says we guarantee everything about our product. You never have to worry about working with Scripture Wall Art. We have the highest customer satisfaction rating in the industry and nearly 12 years of experience making the best Scripture Wall Quotes out there. Scripture Image
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FOX: Michael Rapaport restrained American Airlines passenger who tried to open emergency door mid-flight
Actor Michael Rapaport allegedly rushed to restrain a passenger who tried to open the emergency exit door on an American Airlines flight to LAX, sources reported.
American Air asks federal government not to put separated migrant children on its flights. NEW YORK (Reuters) - American Airlines has asked the federal government to refrain from using its flights to transport migrant children who have been separated from their families. >>
American Airlines addresses questions about flying kids split from families. The airline said it would be "disappointed to learn that our airline was being used to separate families" >>
American Airlines Asks Government Not to Use Its Flights to Carry Immigrant Children. The announcement is the latest fallout from the administration’s decision to separate children from parents who have arrived illegally. >>
American Airlines passenger breaks airport window in anger over flight cancellations. The incident happened at 11:03 pm Monday near the valet parking station on the upper level of the airport. >>
American Airlines plans to cut some management jobs. American Airlines plans to cut an undisclosed number of management jobs over the next several weeks >>
American Airlines transporting children separated from families?. American Airlines is responding to reports that allege the airline is transporting migrant children being separated from their families. The airline says it has government contracts and suspects it has carried minors who were caught crossing the border illegally, possibly including kids separated from their families, but that it has no way of knowing the status of passengers who book a flight. >>
American asks US not to put migrant children on flights. American Airlines says it has asked the US not to use its flights to transport migrant children who have been separated from their parents >>
American expects back to normal operations at regional unit. American Airlines says a regional affiliate should run close to a normal operation Thursday after canceling 2,750 flights in the past week because of a computer problem. >>
American says 2,800 flights canceled by partner meltdown, but normal schedules resuming. American Airlines said on Wednesday that it's close to returning to normal operations after a week of heavy cancellations at one of its regional affiliates. >>
American: 2,800 flights canceled since Thursday, but partner meltdown over. American Airlines said on Wednesday that it's close to returning to normal operations after a week of heavy cancellations at one of its regional affiliates. >>
Michael Rapaport restrained American Airlines passenger who tried to open emergency door mid-flight. Actor Michael Rapaport allegedly rushed to restrain a passenger who tried to open the emergency exit door on an American Airlines flight to LAX, sources reported. >>
UPDATE 1-American Airlines, United: don't put separated migrant children on our flights. NEW YORK, June 20 (Reuters) - American Airlines and United Airlines have asked the federal government to refrain from using their flights to transport migrant children who have been separated from their families. >>
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ChinaDaily: It's illegal to indulge in soccer gambling
The Football World Cup in Russia has been thrilling, to say the least, given the many upsets. And buying a football lottery to try their luck has added to the thrills for millions of soccer fans. But it is illegal to bid on soccer games on so-called soccer lottery websites or phone apps.
ChinaDaily
AP PHOTOS: Daily life in Russia during the World Cup. AP PHOTOS: Daily life in Russia during the World Cup >>
At World Cup, Russians embrace the world, one relationship at a time. Unused to ethnic diversity, Russians both embrace and fear the influx of foreigners. >>
Could World Cup 2018 provide an 'Open Window' for the Gospel in Russia?. I believe the World Cup provides an unprecedented opportunity for the church in Russia, at a time when the doors for religious freedom seem to be in danger of closing. >>
From caviar to veal tongue, fans get true taste of Russia. By Alexandra UlmerVOLGOGRAD, Russia, July 9 (Reuters) - Many soccer fans knew little or nothing about Russian cuisine before the World Cup, but have tucked... >>
From war-torn streets to World Cup final? Modric - the.... Luka Modric is the driving force behind Croatia´s progress in Russia. >>
Migrant workers got World Cup started and have kept it going. Invisible to the crowds flocking to World Cup venues all over Russia are legions of migrant workers from Central Asia, who built the stadiums and keep them running, staff concession stands, and clean up after fans who revel through city streets. They are among millions of migrants who perform menial... >>
Russia can keep on partying after fine World Cup run. By Karolos GrohmannMOSCOW, July 8 (Reuters) - Despite the pre-World Cup barbs and snipes regarding Russia's quality and the politically-charged commentary... >>
Russia's World Cup dream ends, on and off the field. As Russia exits the tournament, the host nation's permissive atmosphere may dry up. >>
With Russia out of the tournament, hosts' World Cup.... By Polina IvanovaMOSCOW, July 10 (Reuters) - With their national team out of the World Cup, interest among Russians in the soccer tournament is beginning to... >>
World Cup 2018: Dream over but hope restored for Russia. Russia were eliminated from the World Cup at the quarter-finals on Saturday but their display on home turf has made a country fall in love with it's national team again. >>
World Cup boosts the soccer economy. MOSCOW - The 2018 World Cup in Russia will draw to a close on Saturday, and the event that began on June 14 has been already hailed as a commercial and economic success. >>
World Cup fairy tale ends for Russia, the sleeping giant. After three delirious, dreamlike weeks at the World Cup, it's time for Russia to get back to reality >>
World Cup gives Russia a global makeover, but how long will that last?. The Russian soccer team may be out of the World Cup, but the Kremlin is winning when it comes to making over its global image. By most estimates, Russia’s hosting of what’s likely to be the most watched sporting event of the year has been a success. Almost 1 million soccer fans traveled to Russia... >>
World Cup: Which fans made the journey to Russia?. Rajini Vaidyanathan set herself a challenge to get photos or videos with fans from as many countries as possible who are in Russia for the World Cup. >>
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Eco-Hero Awards
Links for Teachers & Parents
Book: Acting for Nature
Please support young people taking personal environmental action by making a tax-deductible donation on November 28!
#GivingTuesday, the charitable counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is the global giving day that kicks off the holiday season on November 28th. Please support our Eco-Hero's efforts to protect and preserve our beautiful planet by making a make a tax-deductible donation. Your gifts will be matched up to $500 by an anonymous donor so please give TODAY and support young environmentalists from all over the world!
DONATE WITH STRIPE
Gifts are Tax Deductible
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of USA IRS laws. We gratefully accept one-time or recurring credit card donations below or mail personal checks to our office:
2269 Chestnut Street #263
San Francisco CA 94123
You can also support Action For Nature with every Amazon purchase by activating Amazon Smile. Simply visit smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device and then select "Action For Nature" as the charitable organization you'd like to support. Amazon will remember your selection and every eligible purchase you make will result in a donation.
Thank You for Supporting a LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE FOR YOUTH
Makayla, 2015 Eco-Hero Award Winner
FROM A WINNER
“I didn’t think that a 12-year old kid from a little one stoplight village in New Mexico could make a difference in the world. [Now] I see that lots of people, not just me, are concerned about the Earth and making things better and it makes me feel like part of a big family that cares.” —Makayla, 2015 Eco-Hero and a member of an Official Satellite Community of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
FROM A PARENT
"Receiving an Eco-Hero award was a life changing experience for [my daughter]. She has always been extremely passionate about the environment and attending and presenting at the Action For Nature event has inspired her even more." —Mother of 2015 Eco-Hero
FROM A DONOR
“The kids were incredible. I’m proud to support such a wonderful organization.” —JB, New York
Here are items we are in need of. If you can help, please contact us.
Frequent flyer miles, hotel loyalty points/gift cards (for Eco-Heroes and guardians)
Gift Certificates of all kinds! (We can turn them into cash)
SHOP at GOODSHOP
If you register and begin your shopping through Goodshop, they will donate a portion of your purchase price to us! Thousands of stores like Best Buy and Express participate. You can also save on goods from Kohl's and more while you support us!
About Us: Action For Nature, Inc. is an international 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California. We encourage young people to take personal action to better their environments and to foster love and respect for nature. Our Mission →
Our Book: Acting for Nature tells the remarkable stories of 15 young people from around the world who didn’t get discouraged. They saw environmental problems in their communities and solved them.
Site Contents: Home • Eco-Hero Awards • Resources • Gallery • About Us • Connect • Donate
Action For Nature, Inc., 2269 Chestnut Street #263, San Francisco, CA, 94123(415) 922-6155mail@actionfornature.org
Website by Clarity Web Studio
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Home Afro360
Tiwa Savage Signs International Deal With Universal Music Group!
in Afro360, Global 360
Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment has announced an exclusive global recording agreement with Nigerian pop star, Tiwa Savage. Under the agreement, Tiwa’s future music will be released internationally through UMG’s operations in more than 60 countries worldwide.
Making history as the first female to win the Best African Act by the MTV European Music Awards and becoming the first African female to sell out London’s Indigo, 2018 was a truly memorable year for Mummy Jam Jam.
In December, Tiwa was handpicked by Coldplay’s lead singer Chris Martin to perform alongside Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and Jay Z live at the Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg. Tiwa was also named one of the world’s Top 100 Inspirational Women in Fashion by Vogue US then later featured in British Vogue’s December 2018 issue as one of 10 women that are changing the face of music globally
A resilient force within Africa’s ever-growing entertainment industry, she has also managed to carve a career as a reputable songwriter, conquering the charts in Africa whilst balancing her roles as an entrepreneur, mentor and mother.
Throughout summer 2019, Tiwa will play a string of international festivals including the UK’s Wireless Festival, Afropunk in Paris and Oh My! Festival in Amsterdam.
Tiwa Savage said, “My biggest goal is to make Africa proud. I’m so excited for this moment and I’m thankful to Sir Lucian Grainge and my new UMG family for their belief in my dreams. I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my career.”
Adam Granite, EVP Market Development, Universal Music Group said, “We are looking forward to partnering with Tiwa and her team to help her music reach new audiences around the world.”
Sexy Steel – Far Away Ft. Zlatan
Video : Wiz Khalifa – Alright Ft. Trippie Redd & Preme
Mp3+Video : MC Galaxy – Aliona (Prod By Fresh)
Mp3+Video : Teni – Light Up Your Dream
Patoranking – Lenge Lenge
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New Album Apollo now available
Join our mailing for a free download of Canadian Princess from our forthcoming album Apollo
Canadian Princess 5:30
Nashville Wife EP Launch
2 Inch Tape look forward to going a little bit country for the launch of their new EP, Nashville Wife at the Lomond Hotel on Friday June 7. Joining them on the special occasion are the one and only A…
Live @ Swamplands
Thank God, God is an American
Live from a recent performance at Swamplands check out the video to Thank God, God is an American which is a song from our forthcoming album America, due out later in 2019.
New Single - They Took Away My Santa Claus
Visit our bandcamp page where you can download our new song They Took Away My Santa Claus.
Click here to listen and download
Apollo review courtesy of Pete 'Amigo' Williams
Been listening to Apollo, its a great album. It's textured, layered, atmospheric and the musicianship is just plain excellent.
Apollo defies classification, and that is a good thing, each song stands on its own merit, without gender comparisons and has…
New Single - Canadian Princess
Canadian Princess is the new single from Apollo and we'd like you to have it for free, just sign up to our mailing list and enjoy a free download.
Oh and that's Luna on the cover, she supports the…
Save The Date - Friday 12th October
We are excited to announce that we are launching our third album Apollo at Swamplands, Thornbury on Friday 12th October. We will deliver a 2 Inch Tape show with more punch than ever before, it's going to rock.
Retreat Hotel
Awesome night at the legendary Retreat Hotel last night. Always great to have the one and only master of the Pedal Steel Greg Milton join us on stage to genre twist our catalogue into some kick ass Melbournicana. We'll be…
Friday, June 7 @ 9:00PM Fri, Jun 7 @ 9:00PM 2 Inch Tape- Nashville Wife EP Launch Lomond Hotel, East Brunswick Lomond Hotel, East Brunswick
Wednesday, May 15 @ 7:00PM Wed, May 15 @ 7:00PM Simon Rigoni (solo) Swamplands Bar, Thornbury Swamplands Bar, Thornbury
Sunday, April 7 @ 7:00PM Sun, Apr 7 @ 7:00PM 2 Inch Tape with Fawkner Walking Society Whole Lotta Love, East Brunswick Whole Lotta Love, East Brunswick
Sunday, December 16, 2018 @ 7:30PM Sun, Dec 16, 2018 @ 7:30PM 2 Inch Tape Swamplands Bar, Thornbury Swamplands Bar, Thornbury
Friday, October 12, 2018 @ 7:00PM Fri, Oct 12, 2018 @ 7:00PM 2 Inch Tape - Apollo album launch Swamplands, Thornbury Swamplands, Thornbury
Wednesday, February 14, 2018 @ 7:00PM Wed, Feb 14, 2018 @ 7:00PM 2 Inch Tape - Canadian Princess single launch Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill
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Photo by Roman Tafoya for Schomp MINI
33 Must-See Bands at the Underground Music Showcase
Underground Music Showcase is back in Denver – and this time with the main stage at a new location. Now located outside of the Big K Mart, the four day showcase is taking over even more of South Broadway. With three headliners, four days and over 300 total bands on the lineup, we understand planning your schedule can be a bit, well, overwhelming. To make it easier for you, we mapped out our staff picks. From local favorites like church fire and Brent Cowles, to national acts like Benjamin Booker and Brothertiger, there’s a lot to see. Mark your calendars and get ready with our staff picks and playlist.
Christopher the Conquered
When: 7 – 7:40 p.m.
Where: Illegal Pete’s (inside) – 270 S. Broadway
The Lowdown: Stripped down soul and an amalgam of gospel and blues sums up Christopher the Conquered’s 2016 album I’m Giving Up On Rock & Roll. The heartfelt piano chords are reminiscent of artists like Freddie Mercury and Elton John in delivery and intent. A hallmark of Christopher the Conquered’s musical style is the lyrical honesty and openness of spirit you’ll find in each track, which is no surprise given that he credits John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats as an influence. A veteran performer who has toured with musical acts such as Andrew Bird, Sturgill Simpson, The Mountain Goats and Kimya Dawson, Christopher the Conquered is an act to catch. – Erika Gill
Boyhollow
Where: Irish Rover – 54 S. Broadway
The Lowdown: Indie-music veteran Boyhollow will be kicking off the first night of UMS with an early DJ set. This Denver DJ has been putting on the Lipgloss indie-dance parties for 16 years, currently with a residency at the underground “Clockwork Orange” themed Milk Bar on Friday nights. Expect to hear artists mixed through the evening like Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, New Order, Blondie and more. Did I mention he’s opened for all of the bands I just listed? – Tyler Harvey
Dead Latin
When: 10 – 10:40 p.m.
The Lowdown: This one comes purely from a recommendation because this will be the first show for the new group. Rumored to be a reincarnation of another Denver band, Rose Quartz, half of the appeal of this show is the mystery. No music (that we can find) is even on the internet. But, according to those who have heard the demos, it’s worth including in your first-day itinerary. – Brittany Werges
CRL CRRLL
When: 12 – 12:40 a.m.
The Lowdown: This Denver DJ and producer has been on our map for quite some time now. And not just ours, he’s done some work with Red Bull Sound Select and a plethora of local artists. Expect to see him jamming out on the synth-pad with a drummer to back him up for one of the first late-night sets of UMS. Earlier this year the artist released St. Peterson – an EP that’s hard to not fall in love with. Be sure to take this opportunity to lose yourself in CRL CRRLL’s synthy dance tunes at Irish Rover. – Tyler Harvey
Bad Licks
When: 1 – 1:50 a.m.
Where: Hi-Dive – 7 S. Broadway
The Lowdown: The Bad Licks have the sound of a seasoned psychedelic-rock band infused with just the right amount of garage-rock to make it feel like home. The recent lyrics are the perfect soundtrack to 2017 – a year that has been beautifully aligned to serve as amazing fuel for political punk bands everywhere. If this sounds like something you’ve been pining for, “Set Them On Fire” just came out in January and perfectly showcases those exact emotions. With members branching out into other Denver bands (Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and The Blue Rider) these guys clearly know how to rock a crowd. – Denby Gardiner
Wolf van Elfmand
Where: South Broadway Christian Church – 23 Lincoln St.
The Lowdown: Formerly of the band Von Stomper, Wolf van Elfmand has made a name for himself in the Denver folk scene. Having begun his career in New York, the musician has released three albums and most recently, a music video to a new song “The New Folk.” Quoting Randy Newman and Mississippi John Hurt as his inspirations, Wolf is sure to satisfy the country-blues itch we all keep down inside our hearts. – Denby Gardiner
Low Hanging Fruit
The Lowdown: Low Hanging Fruit is a talented up-and-coming hip-hop collective from the Boulder area. Consisting of five members, Dirty Harry, Soup, Trip, Lander and Lucy, the group combines upbeat production and instrumentation with whimsical verses and graceful transitions and flows. They have just recently had the opportunity to open up for 2017 XXL Freshman class artist A Boogie wit da Hoodie, and have been making the most of every show they can get their hands on. Consistent new material is constantly being uploaded to their SoundCloud and their presence is ever growing in the hip-hop community. If you are at all interested in lyricism or rap, you definitely won’t want to miss Low Hanging Fruit at this year’s UMS. – Josh Cowden
Bud Bronson & The Good Timers
Where: 3 Kings Tavern – 60 S. Broadway
The Lowdown: As expressed in our review from last year, Bud Bronson is your quintessential UMS experience. The garage rock band is known for their Coors-fueled, high school-style ragers that go down at almost every show they play. Expect to hear lots of “F*ck yeah, Denver!” while being indiscriminately shoved and kicked when someone eats it during a poorly executed crowd surf. But it’ll be awesome and you’ll love it (probably). Oh and the band is supposed to have new music too, making it extra worthwhile. – Brittany Werges
church fire
The Lowdown: When an artist’s most recent album is titled Pussy Blood, you know you’re in for something different. This Denver duo has been making waves in the Mile High for quite some time now with their originality and unforgettable live performances – they were even one of the few lucky locals to take the main stage at Westword Music Showcase this year. Grab your headdresses and gear up to dance to something so captivatingly experimental you almost feel like you shouldn’t be dancing to it. – Tyler Harvey
Note: church fire is playing an additional show at UMS Sunday, 1 – 1:40 p.m. @ The Irish Rover.
Motion Trap
The Lowdown: Motion Trap’s 2017 single “Molecule” could easily become your upbeat summer jam, especially if you’re a fan of the distorted disco synths of groups like Cherub. “Molecule” is a departure from previous release “PALEBLUEDOT,” and it’s easy to hear the 18 months of composition, recording and production between the two releases. Have no fear, you’ll find more than enough to dance to, and with Motion Trap’s recent reincarnation into a duo, and a marked uptick in their production, their Friday set at Irish Rover is sure to be one of the highlights of the evening. – Erika Gill
Sur Ellz & Members of Air Dubai
The Lowdown: Khalil Arcady, or Sur Ellz as you might already know him, is eccentric – from his looks to his musical style. The young multi-hyphenate (singer, songwriter, dancer and producer) brings to the table an eclectic background of inspirations and a desire to tell stories and express the raw emotions of life through his art. Hailing from Denver, this is one underground artist you will not want to miss at the showcase, especially since he will be joined by members of Denver favorite, Air Dubai. – Denby Gardiner
Dirty Few
The Lowdown: Make no mistake, the party’s at 3 Kings on Friday. The proclaimed leaders of Denver’s “dive bar diehards” will play the same venue as Bud Bronson that night. And while they will be a few sets behind The Good Timers, the garage rock ‘n roll band will ensure you can keep your beer fueled bender going all the way until last call. — Brittany Werges
The Velveteers
Where: Gary Lees Motor Club & Grub – 176 S. Broadway
The Lowdown: Even though the Boulder-based duo is led by a fresh faced 19-year-old, The Velveteers are far from juvenile. Pulling influences from heavy metal bands of the ’60s and ’70s, the band is known for their distorted riffs and thunderous beats that echo into the past. But with lead singer’s Demi Demitro powerful voice and their understanding of a solid hook, the band brings a whole new excitement to their retro sound. — Brittany Werges
When: 6:30 – 7:10 p.m.
Where: Main Stage – 363 S. Broadway
The Lowdown: If you blended together all the different indie bands at UMS, you’d have something that sounded a bit like Slow Caves. From the chill vibes of surf rock, to the uncontrived cool of grunge and the catchy sensibility of an indie pop band, Slow Caves has their multi-genre tunes dialed in. Recently landing a spot on an Ohio based label, Old Flame Records, Slow Caves is heading into UMS at full speed. – Brittany Werges
READ: Local Band Slow Caves is Speeding Up the Mile High
Larry Nix
Where: Syntax: Physic Opera – 554 S. Broadway
The Lowdown: The always fashionable Larry Nix creates music he dubs “Western R&B.” The handsome heartbreaker manages to breakaway from today’s bastardized country music finding himself strumming from honest and soulful places of times past. His performance at UMS will without a doubt be an endearing testament to his dedication to fully embodying the sounds and lives that fill the western US. If there is one artist next up to join the leagues of the Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson and Margo Price, Larry Nix is it. – Kori Hazel
Parallelephants
When: 10-10:40 p.m.
The Lowdown: In addition to having a super fun portmanteau name, Parallelephants makes the kind of hauntingly melodic, funky, chill, multi-genre inspired club dance music that lays a smooth layer of bass line chill over a hot July Denver afternoon. Thom Sykes started Parallelephants by himself in 2013, and later it grew to include other students Sykes met in college in San Antonio, Texas. The project began as a mixed multimedia endeavor, and the visual and musical aesthetic is something that needs to be both seen and heard to complete the experience. In the meantime, sit back with a chilled beverage and a view of the sky and give 2017’s single “Reason Don’t Define” a chance to become your summer jam. Their upcoming second studio album is entitled Supply. – Erika Gill
Modern Leisure
The Lowdown: If the slow, sad-pop, beach rock of bands like Metronomy and Beach House lights your fire, be sure to catch Modern Leisure’s set on Saturday, July 29, at Illegal Pete’s (inside). Casey Banker’s melodies layer over ponderous guitar riffs and simple but driving drumbeats that will make you reminisce about the summer memories you haven’t yet finished making. Modern Leisure’s songs are mellow, but listen to the lyrics and you’ll find an undercurrent of the millennial cultural zeitgeist that makes their music poignant and must-see. – Erika Gill
Nasty Nachos
The Lowdown: If the name was any indication of what to expect, then expect the unexpected. Nasty Nachos is the low-fi pop-dance project from Denver’s own Alex Anderson. Sounding like a cross between TR/ST, MGMT and Cut Copy, Nasty Nacho’s punchy synth lines and reverbed vocals make for an undeniably funky combination that recalls a time when hipsters weren’t too cool to dance. You know, way back when “getting weird” was a lifestyle and not a euphemism for taking entirely too many drugs. – Kori Hazel
Brothertiger
The Lowdown: Brothertiger will offer the electronic music scene at UMS a nice break from the typical bass-heavy womp-a-thon and soothe its soul with entrancing vocals over catchy beats. With tunes that feel straight out of a John Hughes montage of teen love, John Jagos has become known in his live performances for exuding sincere happiness. A journey that began in his freshman dorm room, Brothertiger has been shelling out bangers ever since and is bound to be your new favorite chillwave artist. – Denby Gardiner
RUMTUM
The Lowdown: If RUMTUM sounds like something you’d hear in an ASMR exercise, you probably wouldn’t be far off. The electronic producer crafts music so satisfyingly sweet it could be considered ear candy. Mashing up vocal samples with complicated rhythmic sections and orchestral movements, the music Rumtum creates pops out of the speakers and flourishes in any space it fills. Seeing him live only adds to the effect, as a one-man show, he moves like a mad scientist amidst his complicated system of wires and instruments with meticulous precision, never missing a beat. – Kori Hazel
Wildermiss
Where: Main Stage @ 363 S. Broadway
The Lowdown: Wildermiss is a must see, if not for their music, for the fact they’re destined for big things. The group is made up of four band members – three of which came from old local band Red Fox Run. Their style could be best described as pop-rock but you’ll find influences of dance and alt-rock in the mix. You can catch them on the main stage at this year’s UMS. – Tyler Harvey
Dragondeer
The Lowdown: Dragondeer might be the closest the Denver scene gets to seemingly-authentic old school blues. Having recently recorded with producer Mark Howard (Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and more) the band has fans anxiously awaiting new music this year. The band has performed all over and with the likes of Leon Russell, Drive-By Truckers and fellow Denver native, Nathaniel Rateliff. – Denby Gardiner
Where: Skylark Lounge – 140 S. Broadway
The Lowdown: If you happened to miss the Riot Grrrl movement in the early ’90s, have no fear, Cheap Perfume is here to serve up Kathleen Hanna’s still-living ghost in guitar riffs and unbridled, crass, neo-political joy. “Slut Game Strong” is a fun, driven track that perfectly encapsulates the double standard of being a woman and a sexual being: damned if you do, so you may as well do it well. Both Jane No and Stephanie Byrne’s voices entwine in a glorious clash of Sleater-Kinney inspired contrasts –simultaneously singing and shouting. Check out their first full-length album, 2016’s Nailed It, and prime your ears for the dismantling of the patriarchy. – Erika Gill
Milky.WAV
The Lowdown: If you’re looking for some feel good vibes, Milky.WAV is your dude. The Denver-grown producer/DJ blends hip-hop, house and R&B in creative ways to form beautiful beats. His collaborations with and remixes of other Denver artists (such as YaSi) will make you proud to be from the same city as this guy. Milky.Wav will have the grooves at UMS that you won’t want to miss. – Jonina Diele
Brent Cowles
The Lowdown: When I first saw Brent Cowles at UMS last year I was instantly convinced this was the guy to watch in Denver. Short in stature but tall in talent, the mighty power of Cowles rests in his soulful voice that’s delivered with a twinge of country twang. This year, Cowles proved I wasn’t the only one listening. With a new EP and a hit single of the same name Cold Times, he’s already graduated to the main stage after performing at 3 Kings in 2016. The Denver musician is definitely on the up and up, so don’t miss him before he’s up and out. – Brittany Werges
Joseph Lamar
The Lowdown: Joseph Lamar is an authentically eccentric entertainer in a world where eccentricity has been exploited ad nauseam. Where many musicians change the way they dress, throwing on costumes to sell a fabricated version of themselves – Lamar is more than the real deal. If being a singer, songwriter, producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist wasn’t enough, Lamar’s captivating and extremely unique persona makes him a knock out performer. Not to put his music on the back-burner, Lamar’s pop-funk leaning yet still genre defying style is the icing on the cake of one of Denver’s brightest stars. – Kori Hazel
READ: Denver’s Joseph Lamar Pushes Past Genres to Blend Music and Art
Cocordion
The Lowdown: Cocordion is an experimental rock band from Colorado Springs. Their 2016 COS(home=Audio) is a pleasant surprise, something you might have heard on late night MTV 20 years ago – simple, refreshing and melodic. According to their website, band members Mitchell and Mason Macura and Thom Spano are currently at work on a full-length release. Fans of Radiohead and Modest Mouse looking for something a bit more relaxed would do well to catch their Sunday night set at Irish Rover. – Erika Gill
Esmé Patterson
The Lowdown: Denver darling, Esmé Patterson, is back to charm the pants off her native home with a Sunday headliner set. Initially known for starting Denver’s much-loved indie-folk band Paper Bird, Patterson has ventured off with her solo project to much acclaim. Her most recent, We Were Wild, has even garnered nods from Rolling Stone and landed her a coveted spot on NPR‘s Tiny Desk. It is with this album Patterson has solidified her claim as a national indie talent on the rise. Make sure to catch her set and cheer home girl on. — Brittany Werges
Paul DeHaven
The Lowdown: Catching Paul DeHaven is going to be your typical UMS mad dash. The crooner’s set is sandwiched perfectly between headliners and just within running distance of the Main Stage. Sure you may have to actually run to make it there and back but missing it shouldn’t be an option. The longtime staple of the Denver music scene finally has his own EP after spending years crafting tunes for other popular Denver bands (did we mention he’s also a founding member of Paper Bird?) Located at the South Broadway church, expect to find DeHaven playing a guitar heavy set with the ease and expertise of a Denver music vet in his element.— Brittany Werges
Benjamin Booker
When: 8:30 – 10 p.m.
The Lowdown: Benjamin Booker’s voice sounds like what it feels like to rub your face on a five o’clock shadow and drink whiskey in a dive bar on a weekday afternoon. Gospel, soul, folk, rock, blues and several packs of cigarettes flavor the vocals of “Witness,” the name of both the song and the album released June 2 on ATO records. What sets Booker’s album apart is the intensely personal experience infused into his music – this isn’t your average reminiscence of rural America. As a black artist, Booker asks hard-hitting questions of both himself and society. Witness boasts an impressively well read set of influential literature, from Don DeLilo’s White Noise, to Patti Smith’s Just Kids and James Baldwin’s essays on culture and literature. Booker himself experienced a Baldwin-esque expatriate journey of self-discovery, which he details in the essay “Witness,” pair to the similarly titled album, which you absolutely should be listening to. – Erika Gill
YaSi
The Lowdown: After catching YaSi’s set at Westword Music Showcase, her performance at UMS couldn’t come fast enough. The R&B queen has the sort of groovy intimacy that makes you want to move and love at the same time. Her electricity comes to life on stage and seeing her live is always a treat. She encompasses the beauty of the Denver underground in many ways, therefore she’s one you don’t want to miss at the showcase. – Jonina Diele
The Lowdown: If not for her music, be sure to catch P0vi for the fact that she’s one of Denver’s most promising artists. This solo artist blurs the lines of hip-hop, pop and R&B in the best ways possible to accentuate her range of vocals. She’s worked with Red Bull Sound Select and ILoveMakonnen, as well as a range of local artists with production. Her new single dropped just last week – “Only One” – which features fellow Colorado artist A Meazy. – Tyler Harvey
READ: Local Artist Spotlight – Povi Is Exactly What Denver Needs
Gun Street Ghost
Where: Gary Lees Motor Club and Grub – 176 S. Broadway
The Lowdown: The first thing you’ll notice about Gun Street Ghost is that lead singer Mike Perfetti’s deep voice spears you right through the soul. The second thing you’ll notice is that each song’s lyrics tell a bare, truthful tale of Americana. Storytelling, where the focus is less on the speaker than the subject, is a rare bird among a generation of inward-looking songwriters. Gun Street Ghost serves up sometimes haunting, melodic, and steel guitar-heavy tracks in their eponymous 2014 album. Fans of Johnny Cash with a craving for twang will enjoy this band. – Erika Gill
3 Kings Tavern303 Magazine303 MusicBad LicksBenjamin BookerboyhollowBud Bronson & The Good TimersChristopher the ConqueredChurch FireCocordionCRL CRRLLdenby gardinerDenverdenver artistsdenver bandsdenver musicErika GillEsme PattersonGary Lee's Motor Club and GrubGun Street GhostHi DiveIrish RoverJonina DieleJoseph LamarJosh CowdenKori Hazellocal musicLow Hanging FruitMILKY.WAVMotion TrappoviRed Bull Sound SelectS BroadwaySouth Broadway Christian ChurchSt. Petersonsyntax physic operaTyler HarveyumsUMS 2017UMS DenverUMS Lineupunderground music showcaseUnderground Music Showcase 2017Underground Music Showcase DEnverWolf Van ElfmandYasi
DFW Summer ‘17 Kickoff Party at the Four Seasons Hotel Poolside
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Applications of generalized trigonometric functions with two parameters
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Existence and asymptotic behavior of ground state solutions for asymptotically linear Schrödinger equation with inverse square potential
May 2019, 18(3): 1523-1545. doi: 10.3934/cpaa.2019073
Riemann problems for a class of coupled hyperbolic systems of conservation laws with a source term
Yu Zhang 1,, and Yanyan Zhang 2,
Department of Mathematics, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650500, China
College of Mathematics and Statistics, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
Received February 2017 Revised February 2018 Published November 2018
Fund Project: This work is supported by NSF of China (11501488), Yunnan Applied Basic Research Projects (2018FD015), the Scientific Research Foundation Project of Yunnan Education Department (2018JS150), Nan Hu Young Scholar Supporting Program of XYNU
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The Riemann problems for a class of coupled hyperbolic systems of conservation laws with a source term are studied. The Riemann solutions exactly include two kinds: delta-shock solutions and vacuum solutions. In order to see more clearly the influence of the source term on Riemann solutions, the generalized Rankine-Hugoniot relations of delta shock waves are derived in detail, and the position, propagation speed and strength of delta shock wave are given. It is also shown that, as the source term vanishes, the Riemann solutions converge to the corresponding ones of the homogeneous system, which is just the generalized zero-pressure flow model and contains the one-dimensional zero-pressure flow as a prototypical example. Furthermore, the generalized balance relations associated with the generalized mass and momentum transportation are established for the delta-shock solution. Finally, two typical examples are presented to illustrate the application of our results.
Keywords: Coupled hyperbolic system, source term, Riemann problem, Delta shock wave, vacuum, generalized Rankine-Hugoniot relation, entropy condition.
Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary: 35L65, 35L67; Secondary: 76N10.
Citation: Yu Zhang, Yanyan Zhang. Riemann problems for a class of coupled hyperbolic systems of conservation laws with a source term. Communications on Pure & Applied Analysis, 2019, 18 (3) : 1523-1545. doi: 10.3934/cpaa.2019073
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Figure 1. The Riemann solution of (1) and (2) when $u_-<0<u_+$ and $\beta>0$ for a given time $t$ before the time $(f^{-1}(0)-u_-)/\beta$. The left is the $(u, v)$-phase plane, and the right is the corresponding $(x, t)$-characteristic plane
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Figure 2. The delta-shock solution of (1) and (2) for $\beta>0$, where the propagation speed of delta shock wave is positive on the left and negative on the right when $t = 0$
Lihui Guo, Tong Li, Gan Yin. The vanishing pressure limits of Riemann solutions to the Chaplygin gas equations with a source term. Communications on Pure & Applied Analysis, 2017, 16 (1) : 295-310. doi: 10.3934/cpaa.2017014
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Huahui Li, Zhiqiang Shao. Delta shocks and vacuum states in vanishing pressure limits of solutions to the relativistic Euler equations for generalized Chaplygin gas. Communications on Pure & Applied Analysis, 2016, 15 (6) : 2373-2400. doi: 10.3934/cpaa.2016041
Hui-Ling Li, Heng-Ling Wang, Xiao-Liu Wang. A quasilinear parabolic problem with a source term and a nonlocal absorption. Communications on Pure & Applied Analysis, 2018, 17 (5) : 1945-1956. doi: 10.3934/cpaa.2018092
Takashi Narazaki. Global solutions to the Cauchy problem for the weakly coupled system of damped wave equations. Conference Publications, 2009, 2009 (Special) : 592-601. doi: 10.3934/proc.2009.2009.592
Constantine M. Dafermos. A variational approach to the Riemann problem for hyperbolic conservation laws. Discrete & Continuous Dynamical Systems - A, 2009, 23 (1&2) : 185-195. doi: 10.3934/dcds.2009.23.185
Zhi-Qiang Shao. Lifespan of classical discontinuous solutions to the generalized nonlinear initial-boundary Riemann problem for hyperbolic conservation laws with small BV data: shocks and contact discontinuities. Communications on Pure & Applied Analysis, 2015, 14 (3) : 759-792. doi: 10.3934/cpaa.2015.14.759
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Tae Gab Ha. On viscoelastic wave equation with nonlinear boundary damping and source term. Communications on Pure & Applied Analysis, 2010, 9 (6) : 1543-1576. doi: 10.3934/cpaa.2010.9.1543
Eun Heui Kim, Charis Tsikkou. Two dimensional Riemann problems for the nonlinear wave system: Rarefaction wave interactions. Discrete & Continuous Dynamical Systems - A, 2017, 37 (12) : 6257-6289. doi: 10.3934/dcds.2017271
Rinaldo M. Colombo, Mauro Garavello. A Well Posed Riemann Problem for the $p$--System at a Junction. Networks & Heterogeneous Media, 2006, 1 (3) : 495-511. doi: 10.3934/nhm.2006.1.495
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Shitao Liu, Roberto Triggiani. Determining damping and potential coefficients of an inverse problem for a system of two coupled hyperbolic equations. Part I: Global uniqueness. Conference Publications, 2011, 2011 (Special) : 1001-1014. doi: 10.3934/proc.2011.2011.1001
Huijun He, Zhaoyang Yin. On the Cauchy problem for a generalized two-component shallow water wave system with fractional higher-order inertia operators. Discrete & Continuous Dynamical Systems - A, 2017, 37 (3) : 1509-1537. doi: 10.3934/dcds.2017062
Cédric Bernardin, Valeria Ricci. A simple particle model for a system of coupled equations with absorbing collision term. Kinetic & Related Models, 2011, 4 (3) : 633-668. doi: 10.3934/krm.2011.4.633
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Date of Launch
Outlay/Status statistics
Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme June 18, 1997 Closed on 31 December 1998 Opportunity to the income tax/ wealth tax defaulters to disclose their undisclosed income at the prevailing tax rates.
Pooled Finance Development Fund Scheme
National Pension Scheme January 1, 2004 Pension Contribution based pension system
Atal Pension Yojana [1] May 9, 2015 Pension A pension program that allows people to make voluntary contributions within a certain range in order to receive matching government contributions.
INSPIRE Programme Department of Science and Technology (India) Scholarships for top Science students, Fellowships for pursuing PhD, Research Grants to researchers
Standup India DFS, MoF Government of India April 5, 2016 [23] Loans to SC/ST/Women entrepreneurs for greenfield enterprises The objective of the Stand-Up India scheme is to facilitate bank loans between INR 10 lakh (INR 1,00,000) and INR 1 Crore (INR 10,000,000) to at least one Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise. This enterprise may be in manufacturing, services or the trading sector. In case of non-individual enterprises at least 51% of the shareholding and controlling stake should be held by either an SC/ST or Woman entrepreneur. Loans can be applied online through the Standup Mitra or Udyami Mitra portals.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra (PMBJK) Government of India 1 July 2015 Generic Medicine [21] Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana’ is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Govt. Of India, to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses through special kendra’s known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra (PMBJK) have been set up to provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded drugs.[22]
National Food Security Mission Government of India 2007 for 5 years It launched in 2007 for 5 years to increase production and productivity of wheat, rice and pulses on a sustainable basis so as to ensure food security of the country.The aim is to bridge the yield gap in respect of these crops through dissemination of improved technologies and farm management practices.
Rajiv Awas Yojana[14] MhUPA 2013 Urban Housing It envisages a “Slum Free India” with inclusive and equitable cities in which every citizen has access to basic civic infrastructure and social amenities and decent shelter
National Child Labour Projects(NCLP) Ministry of Labour and Employment launched in 9 districts in 1987 and has been expanded in January 2005 to 250 districts in 21 different states of the country The objective of this project is to eliminate child labour in hazardous industries by 2010.Under this scheme, the target group is all children below 14 years of age who are working in occupations and processes listed in the Schedule to the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 or occupations and processes that are harmful to the health of the child.
National Career Service (India) (NCS) Ministry of Labour and Employment 20 July 2015 Employment The objective of this project is to help job-seekers land up at the job they deserve.Under this scheme, an online job-portal named as National Career Service portal has been launched which acts as a common platform for Job-seekers, employers, skill providers, govt. departments, placement organizations and counsellors. The portal possesses mre than 3.11 crore registered job-seekers and more than 9 lakh employers from across the country.
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana MoA August 1, 2007 Agriculture Achieve 4% annual growth in agriculture through development of Agriculture and its allied sectors during the XI Plan period
National Scheme on Welfare of Fishermen MoA Agriculture Financial assistance to fishers for construction of house, community hall for recreation and common working place and installation of tube-wells for drinking water
Livestock Insurance Scheme MoA agriculture Insurance to cattle and attaining qualitative improvement in livestock and their products.
Gramin Bhandaran Yojana MoA March 31, 2007 Agriculture Creation of scientific storage capacity with allied facilities in rural areas to meet the requirements of farmers for storing farm produce, processed farm produce and agricultural inputs. Improve their marketability through promotion of grading, standardization and quality control of agricultural produce.
Digital India Programme[4] MoC&IT July 1, 2015 1 Lakh Crore Digitally Empowered Nation Aims to ensure that government services are available to citizens electronically and people get benefited from the latest information and communication technology
Swavalamban MoF September 26, 2010 To be replaced by Atal Pension Yojana Pension pension scheme to the workers in unorganised sector. Any citizen who is not part of any statutory pension scheme of the Government and contributes between Rs. 1000 and Rs. 12000/- per annum, could join the scheme. The Central Government shall contribute Rs. 1000 per annum to such subscribers.
Swabhiman MoF February 15, 2011 Financial Inclusion To make banking facility available to all citizens and to get 5 crore accounts opened by Mar 2012. Replaced by Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana.
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana [1] MoF May 9, 2015 Insurance Accidental Insurance with a premium of Rs. 12 per year.
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana [1] MoF May 9, 2015 Insurance Life insurance of Rs. 2 lakh with a premium of Rs. 330 per year.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana MoF August 28, 2014 Financial Inclustion National Mission for Financial Inclusion to ensure access to financial services, namely Banking Savings & Deposit Accounts, Remittance, Credit, Insurance, Pension in an affordable manner
RNTCP MoHFW 1997 Health Tuberculosis control initiative
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana MoHFW April 1, 2008 Insurance Health insurance to poor (BPL), Domestic workers, MGNERGA workers, Rikshawpullers, Building and other construction workers, and many other categories as may be identified by the respective states
Janani Suraksha Yojana MoHFW 2005 Mother Care One-time cash incentive to pregnant women for institutional/home births through skilled assistance
Central Government Health Scheme MoHFW 1954 Health comprehensive medical care facilities to Central Government employees and their family members
National Literacy Mission Programme MoHRD May 5, 1988 Education Make 80 million adults in the age group of 15 – 35 literate
Midday Meal Scheme MoHRD August 15, 1995 Health, Education Lunch (free of cost) to school-children on all working days
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya MoHRD July 2004 Education Educational facilities (residential schools) for girls belonging to SC, ST, OBC, minority communities and families below the poverty line(BPL) in Educationally Backward Blocks
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) MoHUPA June 25, 2015 [20] Housing To enable better living and drive economic growth stressing on the need for people centric urban planning and development.
National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM)[17] MoHUPA 24 Sep, 2013[18] This scheme will reduce poverty of urban poor households specially street vendors who constitute an important segment of urban poor by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.
Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana[15] MoP April 2005 To be replaced by Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana Rural Electrification Programme for creation of Rural Electricity Infrastructure & Household Electrification for providing access to electricity to rural households
Government Schemes[2] MoP 2015 Sarkari Yojana List of all schemes launched by Central Government
Bachat Lamp scheme MoP 2009 Electrification reduce the cost of compact fluorescent lamps
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana MoP&NG 1 May 2016 Rs. 8000 crore Launched to provide free LPG connections to women from below poverty line families.
Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana MoRD April 1, 1999 Rural Employment Bring the assisted poor families above the poverty line by organising them into Self Help Groups (SHGs) through the process of social mobilisation, their training and capacity building and provision of income generating assets through a mix of bank credit and government subsidy.
Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana MoRD September 25, 2001 Rural Self Employment Providing additional wage employment and food security, alongside creation of durable community assets in rural areas.
Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana MoRD 1985 Housing, Rural Provides financial assistance to rural poor for constructing their houses themselves.[5]
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana MoRD December 25, 2000 Rural Development Good all-weather road connectivity to unconnected villages
Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana MoRD July 23, 2010 Model Village Integrated development of Schedule Caste majority villages in four states
National Social Assistance Scheme MoRD August 15, 1995 Pension Public assistance to its citizens in case of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement and in other cases of undeserved want
National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) MoRD June 2011[16] $5.1 Billion[16] This scheme will organize rural poor into Self Help Group(SHG) groups and make them capable for self-employment. The idea is to develop better livelihood options for the poor.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act MoRD February 6, 2006[8][9] Rs. 40,000 crore in 2010–11 Rural Wage Employment Legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage of Rs. 120 per day in 2009 prices.
Integrated Rural Development Program MoRD 1978 Rural Development self-employment program to raise the income-generation capacity of target groups among the poor and The scheme has been merged with another scheme named Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) since 01.04 1999.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana[3] MoRD 2015 Rural Development It is a Goveronment of India Project to engage rural youth specially BPL and SC/ST segment of population, in gainful employment through skill training programmes.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana MoSD&E July 15, 2015 Skill Development Seeks to provide the institutional capacity to train a minimum 40 crore skilled people by 2022 [20]
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna[11] MoSD&E[12] April 2015[13] SKILL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE SCHEMES To provide encouragement to youth for development of employable skills by providing monetary rewards by recognition of prior learning or by undergoing training at affiliated centres.
Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme MoSJE 2003 Social Justice Create an enabling environment to ensure equal opportunities, equity, social justice and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme MoSPI December 23, 1993 Each MP has the choice to suggest to the District Collector for, works to the tune of Rs.5 Crores per annum to be taken up in his/her constituency. The Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament can recommend works in one or more districts in the State from where he/she has been elected.
Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana MoST 1999 Scholarship program to encourage students to take up research careers in the areas of basic sciences, engineering and medicine
Smart Cities Mission MoUD June 25, 2015 [20] Urban Development To enable better living and drive economic growth stressing on the need for people centric urban planning and development.
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) MoUD December 3, 2005 Urban Development[7] a programme meant to improve the quality of life and infrastructure in the cities. To be replaced by Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.
HRIDAY – Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana MoUD Jan 2015[19] Urban Development The scheme seeks to preserve and rejuvenate the rich cultural heritage of the country.
AMRUT MoUD June 25, 2015 [20] Urban Development To enable better living and drive economic growth stressing on the need for people centric urban planning and development.
Udisha MoWCD Child Care Training Program for ICDS workers
The Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana MoWCD 2010 Mother Care A cash incentive of Rs. 4000 to women (19 years and above) for the first two live births[6]
Sukanya Samridhi Yojana (Girl Child Prosperity Scheme) MoWCD 22 Jan 2015[16] The scheme primarily ensures equitable share to a girl child in resources and savings of a family in which she is generally discriminated as against a male child.
Saksham or Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Boys MoWCD 2014 Skill Development Aims at all-round development of Adolescent Boys and make them self-reliant, gender-sensitive and aware citizens, when they grow up. It cover all adolescent boys (both school going and out of school) in the age-group of 11 to 18 years subdivided into two categories, viz. 11-14 & 14–18 years. In 2014–15, an allocation of Rs. 25 crore is made for the scheme.
Sabla or Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls MoWCD 2011 Skill Development Empowering adolescent girls (Age) of 11–18 years with focus on out-of-school girls by improvement in their nutritional and health status and upgrading various skills like home skills, life skills and vocational skills. Merged Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG) and Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY).
Integrated Child Development Services MoWCD October 2, 1975 Child Development tackle malnutrition and health problems in children below 6 years of age and their mothers
Namami Gange Programme[10] MoWR March 1995 20000 crore for 5 years Clean & Protect Ganga Integrates the efforts to clean and protect the River Ganga in a comprehensive manner
National Service Scheme MoYAS 1969 Personality development through social (or community) service
Antyodaya Anna Yojna NDA government 25 December 2000 Under the scheme 1 crore of the poorest among the (Below Poverty Line)BPL families covered under the targeted public distribution system are identified.Issue of Ration Cards Following the recognition of Antyodaya families, unique quota cards to be recognized an “Antyodaya Ration Card” must be given to the Antyodaya families by the chosen power.
The scheme has been further expanded twice by additional 50 lakh BPL families each in June 2003 and in August 2004,thus covering 2 crore families under the AAY scheme
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Margaret Sartor and Alex Harris
lecture about Hugh Mangum at The National Archives in Washington DC on April 30th, 2019. Introduction by David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States. Lecture available here on Youtube. Lecture begins at 4:50 in the youtube timeline.
Southbound: Photographs of and about The New South - Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art
Charleston, South Carolina, October 19, 2018 - March 2, 2019, Southbound: Photographs of and about the New South is an unprecedented photography exhibition co-curated by Mark Sloan, director and chief curator of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, and Mark Long, professor of political science, both of whom are on the faculty of the College of Charleston, in South Carolina.
Southbound will comprise fifty-six photographers’ visions of the South over the first decades of the twenty- first century. Accordingly, it offers a composite image of the region. The photographs echo stories told about the South as a bastion of tradition, as a region remade through Americanization and globalization, and as a land full of surprising realities. The project’s purpose is to investigate senses of place in the South that congeal, however fleetingly, in the spaces between the photographers’ looking, their images, and our own preexisting ideas about the region.
Across County Lines: Contemporary Photography from the Piedmont – NASHER MUSEUM OF ART
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, October 14, 2018 - February 10, 2019
Photography is arguably the region’s most widely practiced artistic medium. From analogue to digital to experimental, the range of photographic techniques used throughout central North Carolina is both broad and deep.
This group survey presents the striking crosscurrents of photographic work by thirty-nine artists with a strong connection to the Piedmont. It blends the imagery of both emerging and established photographers, and spans the 1970s to the present day. Some artists work within the genres of landscape, portraiture, and still life, while others take abstract and conceptual approaches. Themes touch on Durham and the South, immigration, cultural traditions, family history, gender, race, sexuality, music, and religion, among others. All the artists capture the immediacy and possibility of photography, while their images provide dynamic views of the world through wide-ranging methods and techniques.
Created by Light – Photographs from North Carolina Collections, Cameron Art Museum
Wilmington, NC, September 16, 2017 - February 11, 2018
Exploring the photography collections of eight North Carolina institutions, the exhibition will examine the evolution of photography highlighting the names of the medium; the connections between the institutions and NC artists working in the medium. Institutions contributing to the exhibition: Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill; Asheville Art Museum, Asheville; Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington; Gregg Museum of Art & Design, Raleigh; Greenville Museum of Art, Greenville; Nasher Museum of Art, Durham; Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro; The Mint Museum, Charlotte; North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh.
Where Hope Finds Home Exhibition
Photographs by Kristin Rehder, Phillips Museum of Art, Franklin and Marshall College, February 14 - April 9, 2017. Essay by Alex Harris in exhibition catalogue
Living Saints exhibition
Loveland Museum, Loveland, Colorado
Photographs by Alex Harris
December 3, 2016 – February 5, 2017
Foote Room
Opening Celebration: Saturday, December 17, 11 am – 1 pm
The art of devotional objects is explored with a series of color photographs by Alex Harris from the collection of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. In 1972, Harris made a rural Hispanic village high in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains his home. For over twenty years, he documented the lives and culture of this Hispanic region. This series of photographs uncovers the many ways sacred images permeate everyday life and how they are intrinsic to the life of a community. This exhibit is presented in conjunction with Modern Devotion: Santos y Santeras.
Picturing The South Commission
In 2017, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta commissioned photographer Alex Harris for the Museum’s “Picturing the South” photography series. For this distinctive initiative, established in 1996, the High commissions established and emerging photographers to produce work inspired by the American South. Past participants include Sally Mann, Dawoud Bey, Richard Misrach, Emmet Gowin, Alex Webb, Martin Parr, Kael Alford, Shane Lavalette, and Alec Soth, whose commissions have all been added to the High’s permanent collection. For his project, “The South in a New Light,” Harris will photograph on narrative film and TV sets in the South during 2017 and 2018.
Queen of Everything You See
has been selected for the 33rd annual Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival in Kassel Germany, and will be screened on Friday November 18th at 9:15AM
Moderator, William Gedney panel discussion
Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York, Wednesday February 10, 2016
Peter Galassi, former cheif curator at MoMA
Philip Gefter, author and photography critic
Lisa McCarty, curator at Duke University
Margaret Sartor, professor at Duke University and editor of *What Was True* by William Gedney
Actual Size: Exploring the Photographic contact print
Cassilhaus Gallery, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, curated by Frank Konhaus, December 15, 2015 - March 15, 2016
Where We Live: A North Carolina Portrait
Photographs by Alex Harris, Amanda Berg, Rachel Boillot, & Jennifer Stratton
March 5 - June 26, 2016, Rubenstein Photography Gallery
Archive of Documentary Arts, Duke University
Reception and Artist Talk: April 28, 2016, 4-7pm, Rubensetein Photography Gallery
Always Go in on your Tip-Toes: Documenting the lives of others
A CONVERSATION BETWEEN MARCO WERMAN AND ALEX HARRIS
Noon-1:15 – Light lunch served.
Forum for Scholars and Publics
Old Chemistry Building 011
Duke University West Campus,
415 Chapel Drive, Durham, North Carolina
Join us for a discussion with Marco Werman (T ’83), journalist and host of Public Radio International’s show, “The World,” and Alex Harris, Duke University professor and acclaimed documentary photographer. Together, the two will look back at Werman’s early work in journalism and documentary storytelling as an undergraduate student in Harris’s “American Communities” course, and explore how that experience has shaped Werman’s approach to telling other people’s stories.
Recalling his experience in Harris’s class, Werman has said, “I keep my first photo [for that course] in a frame today on my desk at work. The man in the photo has his fist right in my lens. It serves as a reminder that I should always go into a story on tip-toes, never guns blazing.”
Lewis Hine Documentary Fellows at Photoville
A retrospective exhibition of the work of the Lewis Hine Documentary Fellows Program opening September 10, 2015 at Photoville in New York City. Curated by Alex Harris and Elena Rue.
Recent Duke University graduates— socially motivated young adults with documentary interests and experience— began collaborating with international nongovernmental organizations in 1995 as Hart Fellows, and their work became the catalyst for the Lewis Hine Documentary Fellows program launched in 2002 at the Center for Documentary Studies. The Hine program has connected the talents of young documentarians with the resources and needs of organizations serving women, youth, and their communities in fifteen countries around the world. The goals of the Hine program are to increase the number of committed documentarians in the humanitarian field and to explore the potential of documentary work to be used as a tool for policy reform, abroad as well as in the United States.
“Animals in Photographs” by Arpad Kovacs published by the J. Paul Getty Museum, june 2015,
From the invention of photography up through the internet age, animals have been a frequent subject of the camera’s lens, from portraits of beloved pets and exotic creatures to the documentation of human cruelty against them. Drawing on the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, this book traces the relationship between animals in photographs and the rapidly advancing technology of photography. In this vivid and engaging book, Arpad Kovacs explores the social, symbolic, scientific, and aesthetic approaches to a subject that has been of continuous interest to photographers across the centuries.
Bureau of Arts and Culture Summer 2015 Issue - interview and photo essay
Alex Harris’s Photographs are Quintessentially and to the Core: American. He is a Master Photographer with decades of consistently important, relevant and revelatory images. From the early Nineteen Seventies with a sociallyconscious black and white portfolio and a degree from Yale, Harris captured images on the front lines of culturally significant moments. In The Nineteen Eighties he founded the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. In the Nineties, he co founded the groundbreaking photographic magazine, Double Take. He has received fellowships from The Guggenheim& Rockefeller, has published fifteen books and is a Professor for the Practice of Public Policy and Documentary Studies at Duke. His work in CUBA was very Influential to many of his contemporaries. We are very pleased to bring you the very first of several Photographic Essays Celebrating The Art, The Experience and The Conversation of One of America’s Best and Brightest Living Photographers, Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Mister Alex Harris
Robert B. Cox teaching award for excellence in the social sciences
Teaching a new generation of students is an essential part of why faculty members choose their careers. And many learn to teach very well.
On the last day of classes Wednesday, more than 50 faculty and administrators in Trinity College of Arts and Sciences gathered at the Doris Duke Center to present Trinity College’s annual teaching awards.
In Practice Works by Duke Arts Faculty to open at the Power Plant Gallery
The Power Plant Gallery at American Tobacco Campus is a joint initiative of the Center for Documentary Studies and the MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts at Duke University. A laboratory for the arts, the gallery provides ongoing opportunities for the Duke and Durham communities to engage with documentary and experimental art practices through exhibition and study of work that considers the essential role and transformative capacity of the arts in society.
The Power Plant Gallery at American Tobacco Campus is pleased to present In Practice: Work by Duke Arts Faculty, opening October 4. The exhibit includes works in a wide range of media—photography, film and video, printmaking, new media—by seventeen Duke faculty members and instructors from three arts units at the university: the Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies (AAHVS), the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS), and the Program in the Arts of the Moving Image (AMI). The exhibition provides a lens through which to visualize the remarkably interdisciplinary nature of the arts at Duke, as well as the dynamic and diverse energy of the Triangle arts scene.
October 4–December 13, 2013
Power Plant Gallery, Power Plant Building
American Tobacco Campus
318 Blackwell St., Durham, North Carolina
Close to Home: A decade of Acquisitions at the North Carolina Museum of Art
August 18, 2013–February 9, 2014–
As the preeminent art institution of North Carolina, the NCMA is firmly committed to presenting and promoting the work of artists from our state. Our frequent temporary exhibitions in the North Carolina Gallery are a testament to our ongoing goal of providing visitors with a broad view of the variety of work created by North Carolina artists and residents. As part of this commitment, the NCMA has amassed a collection of nearly 650 works by North Carolina artists in many mediums. Close to Home: A Decade of Acquisitions includes paintings, photographs, sculptures, and mixed-media works acquired by the Museum in the last 10 years.
Bull City Summer
2013 is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the hit movie, Bull Durham. Bull City Summer will cover all seventy-two home games during the 2013 season at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the results – in literary writing and art photography – will update the brand created by that movie for this historic minor league baseball franchise.
Alabama Public Radio
Don Noble Reviews “Why We Are Here.”
NPR’s The Story with Dick Gordon
[Dick Gordon interviews Alex Harris and E.O. Wilson](http://thestory.org/archive/20121211_The_Story_The_End_of_The_World.mp3) about Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of a Southern City. Interview occurs at the 31 minute mark of this broadcast
LIGHT SENSITIVE exhibition at The Nasher Museum February 14th - June 9th 2013
This exhibition, comprised of over 100 works from across the history of the photographic medium and drawn from North Carolina collections, reveals how photographers use techniques to persuade us of their vision. Real understanding of photographic media suffers from the long-standing myth that the camera is an “innocent eye” that transparently records an image of the world as if through an open window. Some of the power of photography comes precisely from faith in this myth, which has been extremely useful in journalism, courtrooms, television, and on the internet.
MFA Work-In Progress Presentations December 5 and 6
Duke’s first MFA program—in Experimental and Documentary Arts—invites the public to showings of the documentary works-in-progress of the fifteen students from the class of 2014. The students are all enrolled in the first year Documentary Fieldwork seminar taught by Alex Harris. Five students will present their work on Wednesday, December 5, and ten students will present on Thursday, December 6; Guests are welcome at any time during the events.
Book Published
Alex Harris and E. O. Wilson’s new book, Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of A Southern City has been published by W.W. Norton/Liveright.
The Indy Week cover story, March 27th, 2019
Lost in a Durham Barn for Fifty Years, Hugh Mangum’s photos form a Vivid Portrait of the Jim Crow South, by Sarah Edwards
The Wall Street Journal, March 25th, 2019
Review: Portraits Without Prejudice. “Where We Find Ourselves: The Photographs of Hugh Mangum 1897-1922”. Review by Richard Woodward
Hyperalergic, February 21st, 2019
Curators Experiment with Scale, Bringing New Life to the Jim Crow-era Photography of Hugh Mangum. A concise show of photographs printed for impact, at an enlarged scale and in color, magnifies questions about race in the United States. Reviewed by Brenna M. Casey
Hyperalergic, January 21st, 2019
An Itinerant Photographer’s Diverse Portraits of the Turn-of-the-century American South. reviewed by Allison Meier
The Library Journal, Starred review, March 1, 2019
Where We Find Ourselves: The Photographs of Hugh Mangum 1897-1922, Reviewed by Douglas F. Smith
The New Yorker Photo Booth
A LOST AND FOUND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER by Sarah Blackwood, February 14th, 2019.
Margaret Sartor and Alex Harris on WUNC’s The State of Things on January 17th, 2019
with Frank Stasio to discuss Hugh Mangum, “An Itinerant Photographer Who Made Everyone His Subject,”
The Duke Chronicle January 16th, 2019
Where We Find Ourselves shows diversity of 19th Century Photography, reviewed by Kerry Rork
Alex Harris and Margaret Sartor on NC Bookwatch with Randall Kenan
Harris and Sartor in conversation with Randall Kenan about their book, DREAM OF A HOUSE, initially broadcast on April 3, 2018
Alex Harris: Near and Far - Craven Allen Gallery
Reviewed by Brian Howe for INDY week
The State of Things – Remembering Legendary writer Reynolds Price in Dream of a House – WUNC Radio
September 27th 2017. Margaret Sartor and Alex Harris in conversation with Frank Stasio about their new book “Dream of a House: The Passions and Preoccupations of Reynolds Price,” and about their exhibition opening at Duke’s Rubenstein Library on September 28th at 5pm.
Dream of a House: The Passions and Preoccupations of Reynolds Price
Reviewed in the Wllmington Star News by Ben Steelman
Alex Harris on Poets and Writers Radio
Interviewed by Henry McCarthy about Dream of a House on September 13th, 2017
Dream of a House tours the eclectic home of writer Reynolds Price
The Los Angeles Times, September 13, 2017
Seeing Reynolds Price Through His Art Collection
In The Paris Review, by Alex Harris and Margaret Sartor, August 30, 2017
Dream of a House
In the Oxford American, By Margaret Sartor, Alex Harris, and Reynolds Price, August 17, 2017
In Reynolds’ House
Duke Magazine, August, 2013, by Alex Harris and Margaret Sartor
Alex Harris and Rachel Boillot on THE STATE OF THINGS, WUNC Radio, April 28, 2016
Always Go On Your Tip Toes: Documenting the Lives of Others
A conversation between Marco Werman and Alex Harris, by Lou Brown
Life Force Magazine January 2016
Bureau of Arts and Culture Magazine Fall 2015
Download the fall 2015 Issue
Hidden Stories of Abandoned Spaces
How do we Make Sense of Place by Lou Brown, Senior Research Scholar, Duke University
Bureau of Arts and Culture Magazine Summer 2015
Download the summer 2015 issue
Views of Cuba in a New Light, by Nicola Smith, May 14, 2015
New Yorker.com photo booth
Sam Stephenson’s Bull City Summer by Jackson Krule, August 31, 2014
Mother Jones Magazine
Mother Jones Magazine, August 31, 2014 “Bull City Summer”
2015 Robert B. Cox Teaching Award
Duke Today Article
CAPTURING THE QUIET BEAUTY OF BASEBALL by Jordan Teicher, February 28, 2014
Book about Mobile Explores ‘Why We Are Here’ by Don Noble, April 1, 2013
Indy Weekly
The Nasher Tells a Story of Photography in “Light Sensitive” by Chris Vittielo, February 27, 2013
NPR Picture Show
‘Why We Are Here’: Capturing the Spirit of Mobile, Alabama, January 4, 2013
The New York Times, November 20, 2012
Heavyweights for the Holidays: A Roundup of Holiday Coffee Table Books, by Dwight Garner
Mobile Bay Monthly, October 2012
Southern Spirit by John S. Sledge
“Why We Are Here: Mobile and the Spirit of a Southern City” reviewed in Publisher’s weekly, October 14, 2012.
Atlantic Magazine
“Cover to Cover,” September 2012
Cuba Exhibition at The Getty
Orange County Register:
“Getty offers Photographic Views of Cuba,” by Richard Chang, The Orange County Register, August 12, 2011
Los Angeles Times:
_Cuba under the lens at the Getty Museum_, May 27, 2011, by Reed Johnson in the Los Angeles Times.
Daily Bruin
A Revolutionary Project on Cuba exhibited at The Getty, May 19, 2011, by Lenika Cruz in The Daily Bruin, Los Angeles, Ca.
Cuban Art News:
“A Revolutionary Project brings Cuba to The Getty,” May 10, 2011, an interview with Getty curator Judith Keller
Cubaencuentro:
Cuba from the eye of the Camera, December 17, 2010
Midilibre:
Les Visions Chaotiques des Suds profonds de L’Amerique, Midi Libre.com, December 13, 2010. A review of Les Suds Profonds de L’Amerique exhibition at the Musee Faure in Montpelier, France.
Cuba Absolutely
Review of The Idea of Cuba
ReVista:
Whose Idea of Cuba? Fall 2009 Issue of ReVista from the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University, by Kael Alford
Across Cultures:
Sunday October 5, 2008, Photographing Cuba: A review of The Idea of Cuba
Foreword magazine:
May-June 2008, [Review of The Idea of Cuba](http://forewordmagazine.com/articles/shw_article.aspx?articleid=283)
Progreso Weekly:
Progreso Weekly, June 12-18, 2008, Review of The Idea of Cuba
Su Casa:
Spring 2008, Review of River of Traps
Photoworkshop.com:
December 2007, Waiting for Light: Photography Books and the Excellence Legacy, by Craig Varjabadian
Havana Journal:
November 17, 2007, Review of The Idea of Cuba
The Chronicle of Higher Education:
The Chronicle Review, November 2, 2007, End Paper page B23 about The Idea of Cuba
Duke News Service:
June 29, 2005, Experience Corps and the New Wave of Civic Engagement at the Russell Senate Office Building in DC
El Pais:
Madrid Spain, November 18, 2000, Islas en El Tiempo
El Cultural:
Spain, October 25, 2000, Review of Islas en El Tiempo
Fotografia, Spain, September 30, 2000, Review of Islas en el Tiempo
Spain, September 30, 2000, Review of Islas en El Tiempo
El Mundo:
September 29, 2000. Review of Islas en El Tiempo
Art News:
March 1999, review of Scheinbaum and Russek gallery exhibition by Michael Koster
Book World, May 25, 1998, review by Stan Hinden of Old and On Their Own
St. Petersburg Florida Times:
May 17, 1998, review by John Cutter of Old and On Their Own
Newseek, May 11, 1998:
“Doing a DoubleTake.” DoubleTake Magazine
The New York Times:
March 14, 1998, “Seeking the Bond between Social Concern and Everyday Life” Page
Afterimage:
July-August, 1997, review by Jordan Smith of A New Life
Photographers Forum:
May 1997 review of A New Life
The Washington Post:
March 25, 1997, “DoubleTake’s Common Interest,” by Peter Carlson. DoubleTake Magazine.
Metropolis:
Metropolis, March 1997 review by David E. Brown of A New Life
Book World:
February 2, 1997, review of A New Life
The Plain Dealer:
November 10, 1996, A review of Transition/Dislocation, Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art , Fall 1996, by Robert Pincus
Wired:
April 1996, “DoubleVision,” by Marc Spiegler. DoubleTake Magazine
February 4, 1996, “Recording the World with Lens and Pen,” by Lynell George. DoubleTake Magazine
Art in New England Magazine:
February/March 1996 exhibition review by Miles Unger of Addison Gallery of American Art exhibit of Red White Blue and God Bless You
The Boston Globe:
November 11, 1995. review by Kate McQuaid of Red White Blue and God Bless You
The Boston Phoenix:
October 18, 1995, “State of the Art: DoubleTake,” by Mary Chen. DoubleTake Magazine
Dallas Morning News:
March 11, 1995, “A Forum for the Human Condition: Doubletake Contributors are from all walks of life.” DoubleTake Magazine
The NC. Independent:
Review by Georgann Eubanks, January 1993 of Red White Blue and God Bless You
THE Magazine:
Santa Fe, NM. December 1992, review of Red White Blue and God Bless You
The San Antonio Times:
November 12, 1992, review by Mary Fisher of Red White Blue and God Bless You
The New York Times Book Review:
September 23, 1990, Review by Barbara Kingsolver of River of Traps
The New York Review of Books:
May 28 1992, review by Robert Adams of River of Traps
The Nation:
March 11, 1991, Review by Melissa Pritchard of River of Traps
The Los Angeles Times Book Review:
January 4, 1990, review of Beyond the Barricades
The British Journal of Photography:
November 1989, review of Beyond the Barricades
The New Statesman;
November 3, 1989, review of Beyond the Barricades
The Washington Monthly:
September 1988, Review by Anna Quindlen of A World Unsuspected
November, 1987, Review by Mark Muro of A World Unsuspected
The Atlanta Journal:
Constitution Book Review Section, September 1987, review by Don O’Briant of A World Unsuspected
The Chicago Tribune:
August 23, 1987, Book world column by John Blades about A World Unsuspected
October 11, 1987, Review by Walker Percy of A World Unsuspected
The Washington Post Magazine:
June 8, 1986, Article by William Hamilton about South Africa: The Cordoned Heart
Books in Brief, February 1974, review of The Old Ones of New Mexico
Lecture at Cassilhaus in Chapel Hill on July 18th, 2019, 7PM
to show ongoing photographs from OUR STRANGE NEW LAND - A Project for the High Museum in Atlanta.
Four Exhibitions
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2017 World Class Bartender of the Year Kaitlyn Stewart
Posted in Community: People in the Industry
Kaitlyn is a familiar face to us. She was one of the first bartenders to sign up to be listed on our site when we launched in 2016. Six months later when we announced that we would be holding a cocktail competition in Toronto, she threw her name in the hat – even though she lives in Vancouver and would have had to pay her own way to get here to compete. We ended up randomly drawing her name. She booked her flight without hesitating and she ended up placing second in our ridiculously silly comp (let’s say there were ingredients like vegan protein powder involved). To us, this is what a truly great bartender – and human – really represents. Kaitlyn is someone who when she sees an opportunity, she grabs it. She sees potential in things and she always seems to be looking for ways to grow and improve.
We were in the room when she won World Class Canada. A look of disbelief covered her face when her name was called and once the shock wore off, she was both ecstatic and humble. We watched from our computers – like I am sure many of you did – as she competed in Mexico City for the finals in August. What we saw was an incredible woman who was professional, knowledgeable and not afraid to not only be herself but to put herself into everything that she did and created. That is World Class. And with that, here’s a little interview that we did with the 2017 World Class Bartender of the Year, Kaitlyn Stewart.
Photo courtesy of World Class
Bartender Atlas: Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get into bartending and how long have you been doing it?
Kaitlyn Stewart: I started working in the industry straight out of high school. Started off as a server then eventually worked my way behind the bar. It was a great job to have while in University. I never thought it would turn into a career. Once I got behind the bar, I never wanted to go back to serving. So I guess I’ve been bartending for about 11 years now.
BA: What was the moment or experience where you decided that you really wanted to make something of this “bartending thing”?
KS: I always had other jobs while bartending. It honestly probably wasn’t up until 4 years ago that I thought I could make something of this “bartending thing”. I was working with a guy named Justin Taylor, and he’s really the one who showed me a whole other side to bartending. He encouraged me to explore the storytelling and creative side to bartending. He entered me in my first competition (without my knowledge) and forced me to step outside my comfort zone. I will forever be grateful for that.
BA: Before winning World Class 2017, had you entered the competition in past years? And if you did, how far did you get those times around?
KS: I did a handful of other competitions before World Class. I always seemed to fare pretty well. Winning some, placing top three in others. But World Class was my first Global competition.
BA: As the competition progressed through some very specific challenges, where did you draw inspiration for the drinks?
KS: I try and make the “inspiration” process as organic as possible. So I draw a lot from personal experiences. Whether that be the music I listen to, my surroundings, books I’ve read. Even my cats.
BA: How much did you lean on your surrounding community while competing in World Class? How did your friends and fellow bartenders in Vancouver play a part and how did past World Class Canada winners help?
KS: Just knowing I had the support of so many bartenders across Canada was an incredible feeling. So many people reached out and offered to help. I had a few local friends/fellow bartenders come sit at my bar and taste cocktails and make suggestions. We did a mini boot camp in Vancouver before heading to Mexico City, where Grant and Shane (both past Canadian winners) and myself went through the entire challenge booklet and hashed out ideas. They also sat at my bar one night and ordered 8 cocktails at a time to test me on my speed skills. The community love did not go unnoticed.
From the Bartender Atlas Cocktail Competition November 2016
BA: What was most challenging about participating in World Class?
KS: For me one of the most challenging part was convincing myself that I actually belonged there. I wanted to show the rest of the world what Canada had to offer, and I didn’t want to mess that up.
BA: What advice would you give to other bartenders who are thinking about entering the competition?
KS: Do it! You’ll never feel ready enough or prepared enough. Even if you don’t make it to the global finals, you have the opportunity to learn so much from your fellow bartenders. World Class has a huge sense of community. Nobody wants you to fail. One drink could change your life, and I’m living proof of that.
BA: How has your life changed since winning World Class?
KS: Well my small farm to table restaurant has turned into somewhat of a cocktail bar now. I get to do a ton of travelling and meet so many rad passionate bartenders from around the world. It still hasn’t fully sunk in yet, so ask me again in a year.
BA: Now that you have won World Class, you will be travelling a lot. Is there any place you are scheduled to visit that you have been waiting your whole life to see?
KS: I’m super excited to explore Asia. I’ve never been to Japan, so I’m hoping I’ll make it there and get to eat some incredible ramen and drink some delicious cocktails. But to be quite honest, I’m excited for every stop.
Thank you, Kaitlyn for taking the time to chat with us.
« Nick SlaterSteven Cross »
© 2019 Bartender Atlas|ProPhoto Site
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Godspeed You Black Emperor 'Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress' LP
180g LP In Gatefold Jacket Includes Art Print Poster + DL Coupon. Godspeed You! Black Emperor (GYBE) returns with its first single LP-length release since the group's earliest days in 1997-99. ‘Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress’ clocks in at a succinct 40 minutes and is arguably the most focused and best sounding recording of the band’s career. “If Godspeed around the turn of the millennium felt like a band of the moment, now, in a time of rapid cultural turnover and bite-sized music consumption, they feel out of step in a very necessary way.” – PITCHFORK // “This Montreal collective still sound like nothing else…The Godspeed ethos of wordlessly eliciting universal truths remains as devastatingly effective as ever.” – THE GUARDIAN //
Working with sound engineer Greg Norman (Electrical Audio) at studios in North Carolina and Montréal, GYBE slowly and steadily put the new album together through late 2013 and 2014, emerging with a mighty slab of superlative sonics, shot through with all the band’s inimitable signposts and touchstones: huge unison riffage, savage noise/drone, oscillating overtones, guitar vs. string counterpoint, inexorable crescendos and scorchedearth transitions. Following Godspeed’s return from a long hiatus at the end of 2010 to begin playing live shows again, and with the hugely acclaimed ‘Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! release in 2012 marking their first new release in a decade, the group continued to perform regularly on their own headlining tours (and as headliners at many leading festivals), often including a new multi-movement piece in concert over the past couple of years. Known to fans and through live show recordings by the sobriquet “Behemoth”, GYBE has gradually distilled this new work down to a fastidious and uncompromising essence in the studio, with the swing-time swagger of the opening unison riff in “Peasantry or ‘Light! Inside of Light!’” giving way to increasing microtonal divergences and an exhilarating immersion in the harmonic power of massed amplified instruments, before collapsing into some of the most visceral and unalloyed noise/drone the band has yet committed to tape on “Lambs’ Breath” and “Asunder, Sweet”. The album closes with “Piss Crowns Are Trebled”, a 14-minute piece of vintage Godspeed, where ascending and descending guitar and violin melodies intertwine over gut-rattling distorted bass in 3/4 time, segueing into a pummeling four-on-the-floor series of sparkling, soaring crescendos. ‘Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress’ finds Godspeed in top form; a sterling celebration of the band’s awesome dialectic, where composition, emotion and ‘note-choice’ is inextricable from an exacting focus on tone, timbre, resonance and the sheer materiality of sound.
1 Peasantry or ‘Light! Inside of Light!’
2 Lambs' Breath
3 Asunder, Sweet
4 Piss Crowns Are Trebled
Catalogue number: CST111LP
Label: Constellation
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Four policemen were killed and 28 others including eight police officials were injured when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive laden vehicle into CID police station at University Road in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Relief and rescue teams have rushed to the site and initiated their work. The injured are being shifted to Khyber Teaching Hospital and Lady Reading Hospital.
It is said that the blast was heard across Peshawar city. Windowpanes of the nearby buildings were smashed into pieces in the blast. Security forces have cordoned off the area.
Categories: Al Qaeda, bin laden, CID, investigation, Osama, pakistan, peshawar, police, station, taliban, terrorist
12 Responses so far.
Juliet David says:
http://www.pray.net.pk/shop/shoher-ka-bivi-ko-gra-sa-nilkal-dena/
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VanDenburg Not Favored In Latest American Idol Odds
Madison VanDenburg may be the favorite in our hearts to win American Idol Sunday night, but the latest 'betting odds' out of Vegas tell a different tale. Just last week, she was the betting favorite to win the show but Vegas oddsmakers have changed their prognostication.
According to the sports betting site Sportsbettingdime.com, Alejandro is the favorite to win the show basically at 'even money'. Laine Hardy is next at +150, and Madison according to the latest odds is projected to finish 3rd with odds at +350. In the sports betting world, this means that for everyone dollar you were to wager on Madison, a win by her would net you $3.50.
But don't lose hope; upsets happen all the time in world of sports, life, and even in the surreal world of reality TV. Heck, VanDenberg has already defied the odds What are the chances of making it to the final 3 of American Idol? A million-to-1? 3-million-1? Who really knows. At this point, the 17-year-old from Cohoes has already defied the odds and won't be defined as a performer based upon votes. Her character, talent and humility can't be measure by a "worldwide American vote".
While these odds may not be that encouraging, t's worth noting that while winning American Idol may set you up for some music success, plenty of winners of the show have had less than stellar careers. Heck, some performers like Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, and Adam Lambert didn't win American Idol, but used the show in accordance with their talent to go on to have remarkable careers.
Win, lose or draw Madison will be fine. She's already defied the odds and the oddsmakers and in the end, talent always wins.
Source: VanDenburg Not Favored In Latest American Idol Odds
Filed Under: american idol, American Idol Finale, betting, las vegas, MADISON VANDENBURG, odds, top 3
Categories: Audio
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Purdue University - Krannert School of Management
Krannert Building
403 W. State Street
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
krannertmasters@purdue.edu
http://www.krannert.purdue.edu
-Purdue’s Krannert School is integrated with one of the world’s leading engineering, science and technology universities and teaches business concepts in a STEM context.
-Students and alumni of Purdue’s Krannert School have the combination of management skills and STEM backgrounds that most business schools cannot provide.
-Graduate students complement their technical and analytical backgrounds with key business skills and leadership education.
-Undergraduate students acquire skills that allow them to make data-driven decisions and to solve business problems in a broad spectrum of industries.
Purdue University - Krannert School of Management Famous Alumni
Marshall O. Larsen
Howard Lance
Toby Moskowitz
Terry M. Cross
Curt Clawson
Dan Leonard
Joe Buchman
Sally Siegrist
Susan Bulkeley Butler
Valarie L Sheppard
Arthur VanCleve Hill
Jim Lewis
Purdue University - Krannert School of Management New Alumni
Christopher Zeis
Praveen Kumar Poojary
Morgan Damasius
Stan Juday
Bo Zhou
All 1954-1969 1970-1972 1973-1975 1976-1977 1978-1979 1980-1981 1982-1983 1984-1985 1986-1987 1988-1989 1990-1991 1992 1993 1994 1995-1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017-2020
Purdue University - Krannert School of Management Alumni
Markus Wurzer
Austria area
Special Projects at SIGNA Group
Purdue University - Krannert School of Management 2006 — 2010
BS, Management
Dominikanerinnen 1993 — 2006
SIGNA Group September 2012 - Present
KPMG Advisory September 2010 - September 2012
Purdue University September 2008 - May 2010
Corporate Finance, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Financial Reporting, Valuation, Management Consulting, Business Strategy, Microsoft Excel, Finance
Arun Sharma
Calgary, Canada Area
Vice President, Project Operations North America at URS Flint
ESCP-EAP 2004 — 2004
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology 1981 — 1986
Project Management, Petroleum, Project Control, Procurement, Engineering, Construction Management, Construction Engineering, Program Management, Management, Executive Management, PMO set-up, Oil & Gas Industry, Offshore Oil & Gas, Oil sands
Ashwin Kutty
Halifax, Canada Area
Corporate Strategist, Agency Man, Executive Leader & Angel Investor
MBA, Business Administration
IMM, International Masters in Management
MEM, Masters in Executive Management
BSc., Adv. Major, Computer Science & Minor in Business
WeUsThem Inc. January 2011 - Present
ICTC - Information and Communications Technology Council 2011 - Present
Dalhousie University 2006 - Present
Capital District Health Authority 2013 - 2013
Government of Guyana 2009 - 2010
Government of Egypt (Al Ahram Canadian University) 2008 - 2009
Al Ishrak Contracting Company 1999 - 2009
Halifax Regional Municipality, Halifax Regional Police 2006 - 2007
Dalhousie University 2006 - 2007
Business Intelligence, Big-picture Thinker, Business Planning, Marketing Strategy, Business Strategy, Strategic Planning, Strategic Consulting, Strategic Leadership, Strategic Communications, Strategic Thinking, Strategy Development, Knowledge Management, Change Management, Program Management, Operations Management, Design Management, Executive Management, Management Consulting, Policy, Business Process..., Mentoring, Budgeting, Research, Contract Negotiation, Negotiation, Social Media, Public Speaking, Integration, Organizational..., Marketing Communications, Healthcare, Cross-functional Team..., Business Management, Information Management, Information Technology, Leadership, Thought Leadership, Social Networking, Public Relations, Strategic Public..., Design Thinking, International Management, Higher Education, Higher Education..., Senior Executive..., Healthcare Management, Non-profit Boards, Angel Investing, CEOs, Presidents Club
Gord Sorli
Kitchener, Canada Area
Consultant/Educator to Senior Management
Cornell University - S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management 1979 — 1979
EDPD, Business Administration
MSIA, Business Administration
University of Saskatchewan 1958 — 1961
B. Eng.
Athabasca University 1997 - Present
SilverTip Management Consultants 1986 - Present
University of Waterloo January 2007 - August 2010
University of Guelph 1999 - 2003
Distance Learning, Teaching, Coaching, Curriculum Design, Courses, Educational Technology, E-learning, E-Learning, Marketing, Leadership Development, Strategic Planning, Change Management, Research, Strategy
Mark Hann
Toronto, Canada Area
Mgr Software Engineering at GXS
MSIA
University of Toronto 1976 — 1980
BASc.
GXS April 2005 - January 2014
GXS June 1999 - April 2005
GE Information Services 1990 - 1999
EDI, Integration, SOA, EAI, E-commerce, SDLC, Management, Strategy, Leadership, Enterprise Software, Software Project..., Consulting, Cloud Computing, Enterprise Architecture, SaaS, Cross-functional Team..., Professional Services
Mansoor Malik, PMP
Customer Insight Tools and Capabilities Manager at Mondelez International
York University 2011 — 2015
Master of Arts (M.A.), Masters in Information Technology Management
BS, Management Information Systems
Mondelez International October 2012 - Present
Ontario Public Service June 2009 - October 2012
RedPrairie March 2007 - June 2009
Radiant Systems 2001 - 2007
PMP, SDLC, Business Analysis, PMO, Business Process..., Business Process, Software Project..., Change Management, Vendor Relations, Software Implementation, Team Building, Strategic Planning, Business Strategy, Problem Solving, People Management, Web Project Management, Government, Hospitality, Key Account Development, Key Account Management, Leadership, Contract Negotiation, IT Operations, Retail, Requirements Analysis, Business Intelligence, Requirements Gathering, Business Requirements, Management, Training, Project Management, Analysis, Team Leadership, Process Improvement, Microsoft SQL Server, Quality Assurance, Project Planning, Business Development, Vendor Management, Budgets, Strategy, Consulting, Program Management, Project Portfolio..., Business Process..., IT Strategy, Cross-functional Team...
Pooja Pillai
Montreal, Canada Area
Marketing Professional Brand Management, Market Research and Packaging
McGill University - Desautels Faculty of Management 2014 — 2016
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Marketing, Global Strategy and Leadership
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Ryan International School 2003 — 2007
Nestlé May 2015 - August 2015
SPA Canada January 2015 - May 2015
FCB Global March 2013 - May 2014
Draftfcb March 2012 - March 2013
Coca-Cola Enterprises June 2010 - August 2010
Taylor Nelson Sofres May 2008 - July 2008
Advertising, Strategy, Marketing, Integrated Marketing, Management, Microsoft Office, Market Research, Brand Management, Marketing Strategy, Social Media, Public Relations, Retail, Social Media Marketing, SAS Programming, SAS Base, Marketing Communications, PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Marketing Management, FMCG, Campaign Management, Celebrity Management, Outdoor Advertising, Nielsen Data, Packaging, Competitive Analysis, Nielsen Advisor -..., Food Packaging, Brand Development, WBS, SAP Portal, Marketing Engineering...
Anshuman Kumar
Sr.Operations Manager at Amazon
Delhi Public School - R. K. Puram
MBA, Operations & Finance
Amazon May 2015 - Present
Amazon June 2013 - March 2015
Qualcomm May 2012 - August 2012
Ericsson August 2006 - August 2011
Project Management, Cross-functional Team..., Mentoring, Counseling, Training Course..., Training & Development, Team Management, Microsoft Office Usage, Customer Relations, Business Process..., Business Process Design, Process Improvement, Microsoft Office, Training, Customer Service, Data Analysis, Employee Training
Atif Kubursi
President at Econometric Research Limited
PhD, MSc, Economics
American University of Beirut 1960 — 1964
Econometric Research Limited September 1972 - Present
United Nations Economic and Social Commission January 2006 - August 2008
McMaster University September 1969 - August 2008
Research, Public Speaking, Microsoft Office, Strategic Planning, Teaching, Microsoft Excel, Customer Service, PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, English, Negotiation, Project Management, Analysis, Organizational..., Change Management, Team Leadership, Government, Policy, Higher Education, Nonprofits, Public Policy, Financial Analysis, Project Planning, Data Analysis, Program Management, Business Planning, Policy Analysis, Event Planning, Editing, Economics, International..., Public Relations, SPSS, Team Building, Community Outreach, Leadership Development, Leadership, Teamwork, Business Strategy, Budgets, Qualitative Research, International Relations
Professor at McMaster University
Matthew DePiero
Winnipeg, Canada Area
Business Analyst for PCGI Consulting Services
BSIM, Management
Manitoba eHealth - Winnipeg Regional Health Authority March 2009 - Present
PCGI Consulting Services Inc-Winnipeg November 2008 - Present
TTW Inc July 1999 - November 2008
Resource Management, Requirements Analysis, Business Analysis, Change Management, PMP, Requirements Gathering, Business Process..., Software Project..., Software Documentation, Business Process, ITIL, ERP, Process Improvement, Project Management, SharePoint, Project Delivery, SDLC, Project Portfolio..., Team Building, CRM, Awesomeness, MS Project, Program Management
Michel Trapp
Materials Handling Consultant
MSIA, Master of Science in Industrial Administration
Institut national des Sciences appliquées de Lyon 1970 — 1975
MS, GMD
Worldwide Logistic Solutions LLP February 2003 - Present
Polymer Solutions International January 2003 - December 2007
ORBIS CORPORATION 2005 - 2005
NUCON Corporation February 1995 - February 2003
Union Carbide August 1976 - January 1995
Logistics, Sales Management, Strategic Planning, Negotiation, Packaging, Manufacturing, Business Development, Sourcing, New Business Development, Supply Chain Management, Product Development
Norman Headley Th.M, Diplomate C.P.S.P.
Norman Headley & Associates
The Toronto School of Theology, University of Toronto 1972 — 1973
Certification, Clinical Pastoral Education
Boston Univeristy School of Theology 1969 — 1972
Th.M., Biblical Studies, World Religions
Syracuse University College of Law 1968 — 1969
-, 1st year J.D.
B.Sc, with Distinction, Economics, Mathemathics
Port Credit March 2010 - Present
The Hospital for Sick Children March 1994 - March 2010
London Health Sciences Centre October 1980 - February 1994
United Church of Canada June 1973 - September 1980
Organizational..., Leadership, Problem Solving, Pastoral, Psychotherapy, Interpersonal Relations, Public Speaking
Patrick Poulin
London, Canada Area
President at KL Automation Inc.
Western University 1987 — 1992
BESc, Mechanical Engineering
KL Automation Inc. 2007 - Present
Schaeffler KG, Aerospace 2005 - 2007
Lean Manufacturing, Automation, Product Development, Six Sigma, Robotics, Business Development, Corporate Finance, Aircraft Engines, Food Processing, Mergers & Acquisitions
Richard Dussault
Vice President, Marketing at Pratt & Whitney Canada
Université de Sherbrooke 1975 — 1979
Bac., Mechnical Engineering
Pratt & Whitney Canada 2010 - Present
Pratt & Whitney Canada March 2007 - October 2010
Pratt & Whitney Canada February 2001 - March 2007
Aerospace, Business Strategy, Strategic Planning, Program Management, Aviation
Ritesh Desai
Vancouver, Canada Area
Senior Manager, Internal Audit at GLENTEL Inc.
Bachelor of Science, Accounting
Glentel June 2011 - Present
lululemon athletica September 2009 - May 2011
CBS Outdoor October 2007 - February 2009
CBS Outdoor October 2006 - September 2007
Deloitte October 2003 - September 2006
Internal Controls, SOX, NI 52-109, Process Improvement, Internal Audit, PCI DSS, Enterprise Risk..., Project Coordination, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Accounting, Risk Management, IFRS, Finance, Sarbanes-Oxley, Risk Assessment, Business Process, Auditing, Management, External Audit, Financial Analysis, US GAAP, Analysis
Wayne Kanak
Edmonton, Canada Area
Intellectual Property Counsel Canadian Product and Technology Centers at Schlumberger
Master of Science, Industrial Administration
Schlumberger March 2007 - Present
Intellectual Property Counsel at Schlumberger Canada Limited
University of Houston Law Center 1986 — 1990
Schlumberger Canada Limited Intellectual Property CounselSchlumberger1992 - 2009
Maria Estuardo Reyes
Guatemala area
Evaluación y Desarrollo de Nuevos Proyectos de Conectividad en INGUAT
CM, Management
Colegio Interamericano
INGUAT January 2015 - August 2015
Desarrolladora M&E Proyectos Familiares January 2013 - December 2014
Grupo Deinco June 2009 - January 2013
Apoyo Empresarial February 2008 - October 2012
Estrategia empresarial, Español, Estrategia de..., Liderazgo de equipos, Plan de negocio, Gestión de proyectos, Planificación..., Microsoft Office, Negotiation, Planeamiento de..., Consultoría de..., Business Strategy, Management Consulting, Administración y..., Negociación, Team Leadership, Change Management, Liderazgo, Cambio organizacional, Servicio de atención al...
Rodolfo Bressani
GM en Tilly de Guatemala, S.A.
Master of Science in Management
Master's degree, Food Science and Technology
Bachelor's degree, Food Science and Technology
Tilly de Guatemala, S.A. November 1993 - Present
Alimentos Kern de Guatemala, S.A. January 1987 - August 1990
Alan Hawkins, MBA
Hungary area
Chief Business Development Officer at ShiwaForce.com Inc.
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), International Business
Oregon State University 1984 — 1989
Bachelor's Degree, Business Administration - Finance Concentration
ShiwaForce.com Inc. February 2015 - Present
T-Systems International GmbH May 2013 - January 2015
Dataplex Ltd. September 2000 - April 2013
Medicover 1998 - 2000
Business Strategy, Contract Negotiation, Project Management, Data Center, Telecommunications, International Sales, Management, Negotiation, Business Development, Sales Process, IT Infrastructure..., Global Business..., Strategic Planning, Outsourcing, IT Strategy, Strategic Partnerships, Program Management, Networking, Sales Management, Partner Management, Channel Partners, Vendor Management, Cloud Computing, B2B, Managed Services, Strategy, Direct Sales, Account Management, Key Account Management, Virtualization, CRM
Balazs Szekely
Managing Director @ Rentasystem
Nyenrode University 2012 — 2012
Educated Interim Manager
Central European University 2005 — 2006
Executive MBA, International Masters of Management
Corvinus University of Budapest 1994 — 2000
MSc, Economics
Budapest Toldy Ferenc Gimnázium 1990 — 1994
high school, graduate
Springdales New Delhi 1985 — 1990
SAP Value Lifecycle Management
SAP value selling
Rent-a-system April 2013 - Present
Docage September 2010 - April 2012
Korubo Digital July 2006 - August 2010
Transelektro May 2005 - May 2006
Transelektro October 2001 - May 2006
nextra October 2000 - October 2001
analytical, implementation focus, information technology, change initiative, self-organization, entrepreneurial, strategic thinking, Change Management, Information Technology, Analytical Skills, Management, Business Process..., Business Strategy, Business Intelligence, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Thinking, Marketing Strategy, Leadership, Performance Management, Training, Business Development, Team Leadership, Negotiation, Business Planning, Strategy, ERP, Digital Marketing, Integration, Management Consulting, Analytics, IT Service Management, CRM, Outsourcing, Start-ups
Istvan Agg
Project and Program Manager at Pyxis Management Ltd
Master of Business Administration (MBA), International Business Management, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Universiteit van Tilburg 2000 — 2001
Master of Business Administration (MBA), International Business Management, Tilburg, The Netherlands
The George Washington University - School of Business 1998 — 1999
MS Certificate, Project Management, at Motorola, Schaumburg, Illinois, USA
Illinois Institute of Technology 1985 — 1989
Master of Science (MS), Computer Science, Chicago, Illinois, USA
DeVry University 1982 — 1985
Bachelor of Science (BS), Electronics Engineering Technology, Chicago, Illinois, USA
The Regus Group June 2013 - July 2014
Syngenta, Basel, Switzerland – EMEA HR Transformation November 2011 - February 2013
Intercomp Global Services - a Shared Service Center providing HR/Payroll services globally August 2010 - November 2011
Ipsos, Paris, France – Operations Process Improvement August 2008 - April 2009
Online System / Intellicom - Internet December 2007 - July 2008
GTS CE, Amstelveen, Netherlands – Regional Network Implementation September 2006 - December 2007
Axiom Systems (Comptel), Reading, Berkshire, UK – EMEA/CIS Sales Support January 2006 - July 2006
Asylum Telecom, New York – IT & Network Operations February 2005 - January 2006
HostLogic Kft. - Mobile Business Solutions August 2004 - February 2005
Millward Brown, member of the WPP Group Plc - Marketing Research June 2002 - March 2004
Project Management, International Project..., Change Management, HR Transformation, Stakeholder Management, Software Project..., Outsourcing, Business Analysis, Telecommunications, Payroll Outsourcing, MS Project, Vendor Management, Program Management, Process Improvement, Business Strategy, Business Process..., Project Planning, Business Process, Integration, Cross-functional Team..., Cloud Computing, Management, Operations Management, Strategy, Software Development, Business Development, CRM, Risk Management, SharePoint, ERP, Testing, SaaS, PMO, Mobile Devices, Business Transformation, Governance, UAT Management, System Testing, Entrepreneurship, Management Consulting, Acceptance Testing, Software Documentation, Analysis, Leadership, Start-ups, SAP, Project Portfolio..., Team Management, Project Delivery, Product Development
Attila Mészáros
Consultant at Progressum Consulting Ltd.
Master, MBA
Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem 1992 — 1994
Master of Science, economy
Nyugat-Magyarországi Egyetem 1986 — 1991
M.Sc., Agriculture
Progressum Consulting Ltd. August 2012 - Present
Ernst & Young Advisory Ltd. November 2011 - July 2012
Ernst & Young Advisory Ltd. 2011 - 2012
SC Corporate Recovery Management SRL (MKB Bank group) January 2010 - July 2011
MKB Bank Zrt. September 2007 - December 2009
K&H Bank August 2001 - August 2007
Banking, Corporate Finance, Mergers, Project Finance, Restructuring, Financial Analysis, Structured Finance, Risk Management, Business Strategy, Credit, Financial Modeling, Valuation, Due Diligence, Financial Risk, Credit Risk, Financial Markets, Loans, Business Planning, Investment Banking, Credit Analysis, Private Equity, Commercial Banking, Basel II, Investments, Asset Managment, Capital Markets, Portfolio Management, Retail Banking, Financial Structuring, Management Consulting, Cash Management, Trade Finance, Emerging Markets, Economics, Derivatives, Management, Finance
Janos Santa
Deputy CEO at Continental Tobacco Corp.
Szegedi Tudományegyetem 1998 — 2001
BA, Engineering
Continental Tobacco Group 1996 - Present
László Németh
Founder and Owner of GORDIO Group
Executive MBA, Executive Management
Institut national des Sciences appliquées de Rennes 1988 — 1989
Scholarship, Robot technics
Technical University of Budapest 1983 — 1988
Master's degree, Robot technics
Gárdonyi Géza Gimnázium - Eger 1978 — 1982
II. sz. Általános Iskola - Eger 1970 — 1978
JAICA (Japan)
GORDIO Group March 2001 - Present
PwC August 1999 - March 2001
Coopers & Lybrand Consulting August 1998 - August 1999
Synergon 1997 - 1998
ROLITRON Informatika 1989 - 1997
DataNet 1993 - 1996
Management Consulting, Leadership, Organizational..., Marketing Management, Management, Training, Marketing, Team Building, Business Strategy, Strategy, Social Networking, Business Development, Brand Development, Leadership Development, Mergers & Acquisitions, Change Management, Network Analysis, Program Management, Decision Making, Leading Projects, Leading Groups, Founding new business
Laszlo Torok
at Grundfos Manufacturing Hungary
MBA, Business
Technology of Machine Construction 1987 — 1994
BSC/MSC
Grundfos Manufacturing Hungary August 2008 - Present
Grundfos Manufacturing Hungary April 2004 - August 2008
Grundfos Manufacturing Hungary August 2000 - April 2004
Change Management, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, Process Improvement, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Kaizen, Strategy, Business Strategy, Value Stream Mapping, Product Development, Operational Excellence, Supply Management, Cross-functional Team..., Process Engineering, Strategic Sourcing, Forecasting, Root Cause Analysis, Manufacturing..., MRP, 5S, Leadership, Production Planning, Change management, Continuous improvement
Peter Kalmar
Founding and Managing Partner of Flow International, President of IODA, the International OD Association
TiasNimbas Business School 2002 — 2005
Budapest University of Economics 1985 — 1991
Masters in Economics, Management and Foreign Trade
Flow International January 2008 - Present
The Flow Group September 2002 - Present
Manmore Consulting 1996 - Present
PPL Consulting 1991 - 1995
DHL Ecuador 1990 - 1991
IBM Denmark 1989 - 1990
Organizational Change, Organizational..., Leadership Development, Change Management, Leadership, Human Resources, Culture Change, Management Consulting, Executive Coaching, Coaching, HR Consulting, Organizational Design, Talent Management, Business Strategy, Performance Management, Strategy, Organizational..., Workshop Facilitation, Employee Engagement, Program Management, Management Development, Training, Personal Development, Management, Team Building, Public Speaking, Business Transformation, English, Succession Planning, Entrepreneurship, Consulting, Executive Development, Basketball Coaching
Richard SCHWAB M.D.
Head of Cabinet at Demjan Group
Semmelweis Egyetem 1989 — 1995
Medical Doctor, General Medicine
József Attila Grammar School, Székesfehérvár 1985 — 1989
Demjan Group October 2011 - Present
Diavitas Corp 2014 - 2015
KPS Biotechnology January 2008 - December 2014
TriGranit Development Corporation September 2010 - September 2011
Human Biotech CRC, National Medical Center, Hungary 2004 - 2007
Business Strategy, Mergers, Organizational..., Human Resources, Restructuring, Strategic Planning, Management, Business Development, Negotiation, Contract Negotiation, Mergers & Acquisitions, Commercial Real Estate, German, Real Estate Development, Management Consulting, HR Consulting, Project Management, Change Management, Property Management, Real Estate, Due Diligence, Marketing Strategy, Strategy, Budgets, Performance Management, Corporate Communications, Clinical Trials, Team Leadership, Talent Management, Social Media, Public Relations, Project Planning, Healthcare, English, Financial Analysis, Research
Szabolcs Szalay
Principal at The Boston Consulting Group
Interntional Training Center for Bankers 1998 — 1999
Cerified EFFAS Financial Analyst
Budapest University of Economic Sciences 1989 — 1996
MSc., Economics
The Boston Consulting Group 2010 - Present
MKB Bank Hungary September 2002 - June 2009
Accenture January 2000 - September 2002
private investment company October 1993 - September 1999
EMINENCIAS Consulting September 1990 - October 1993
Viktor Varkonyi
Chief Executive Officer at Graphisoft
Executive MBA, Executive MBA
Budapest University of Technology 1987 — 1992
Msc, Electrical Engineering
Graphisoft January 2009 - Present
Graphisoft January 2007 - December 2008
Graphisoft November 2002 - January 2007
Graphisoft January 2002 - November 2002
Virtual Design, BIM, Architecture, Visualization, Management, CAD, Team Leadership, 3D visualization, 3D
John B. Norris, Ph.D.
Puerto Rico area
Analytics professional
PhD (received December 2007), Management
MBA, 2001
University of Richmond - Robins School of Business 1992 — 1996
BS, 1996, Business
Madison High School 1988 — 1992
Bellicose Capital April 2014 - Present
EZCORP August 2013 - April 2014
myThings April 2013 - July 2013
Promontory Financial Group, LLC November 2012 - April 2013
CW Financial, LLC February 2010 - November 2012
Dotomi October 2007 - February 2010
Purdue University August 2002 - September 2007
IBM June 2001 - July 2002
Purdue University August 1999 - May 2001
Bell Labs Lucent Technologies August 1999 - October 1999
Statistics, Data Mining, VBA, SQL, SAS, Analytics, Consumer Insights, Programming, Data Analysis, Business Intelligence, Financial Modeling, Predictive Modeling, Forecasting, Excel, Access, Risk Management, Statistical Modeling, Logistic Regression, Microsoft Excel, Customer Insight, Economics, Databases, Data Modeling, Predictive Analytics, Optimization, Quantitative Analytics, Monte Carlo Simulation, CRM, Analysis
Alberto J. Cordero
Managing Principal e3 Consulting
Bachelor of Science, Industrial Management / Computer Science
Colegio San Carlos 1984 — 1988
Casa di Emana November 2014 - Present
e3 Consulting - evolve . execute . excel April 2013 - Present
IT Strategy, Project Execution, Project Implementation, Management Consulting, Sales Process, Consultative Selling, Negotiating Contracts, Requirements Analysis, Requirements Gathering, IT Governance, IT Management, Project Management, Business Intelligence, Contract Negotiation, Governance, Software Project..., PMO, Business Strategy, Program Management, Project Portfolio..., ERP, Integration, Enterprise Software, Selling, Strategic Planning, CRM, IT Service Management, Business Development, Telecommunications, Business Process...
Cindy Cabrera
Manager at Evertec, Inc.
Continue Education, Applied Management Principle Program
Certification, Managing IT Projects
EXIN 2005 — 2005
Certification, ITIL/IT Service Management Foundations
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Printmaking
Evertec, Inc. November 2011 - Present
Evertec, Inc. September 2006 - October 2011
Evertec, Inc. July 2003 - September 2006
Mediawire Communications Inc. January 2001 - July 2003
McConnell Valdes November 1999 - January 2001
McConnell Valdes August 1995 - November 1999
Puerto Rico Convention Bureau August 1994 - September 1995
Condado Plaza Hotel & Casino August 1993 - July 1994
Condado Plaza Hotel & Casino May 1991 - July 1993
IT Management, Project Management, IT Strategy, Business Analysis, Software Project..., Strategic Planning, Business Intelligence, E-commerce, Process Improvement, Web Development, Program Management, Microsoft Office, Budgets, Event Management, Team Leadership, Operations Management
Gina Woods
Sales Director, Rupi Virgin Indian Hair
Bachelors of Science
Rupi Virgin Hair (RupiHair.com) February 2009 - Present
Elavon, Inc. March 2008 - July 2009
Yellow Book USA Publishing September 2005 - February 2007
James Connor
CEO & Founder of Acrecent Financial Corporation
Bachelor of Science (BS), Business Administration and Management, General
Acrecent Financial Corporation July 2003 - Present
GE Capital Puerto Rico & Dominican Republic October 1998 - October 2002
GE Capital Commercial Equipment Finance January 1997 - October 1998
Financing and leasing..., Extensive expertise of..., Commercial financing..., Management, Strategic Planning, Business Strategy, Leadership, Finance, Financial Analysis, Sales, Business Planning, Business Development, Strategy, Portfolio Management, Venture Capital, Start-ups, Entrepreneurship, Mergers & Acquisitions, Investments
JAVIER M. URIBE
PRESIDENT, SAN JUAN CAPITAL CORPORATION
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, TUCSON, AZ. 2011 — 2011
DIPLOMA, NATIONAL CENTER FOR INTERPRETATION
Indiana University Bloomington 1978 — 1979
INDIANA EXECUTIVE PROGRAM
Bachelor of Science (BS), INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT
SAN JUAN CAPITAL CORPORATION October 1988 - Present
MERRIL LYNCH GOVM'T SECURITIES OF PR June 1985 - September 1988
CITICORP FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION October 1980 - June 1985
Portfolio Management, Mergers, Investments, Strategic Planning, Customer Service, INTERPRETER AND..., PUERTO RICO LICENSED..., Finance, Due Diligence, Financial Analysis, Fixed Income, New Business Development, Product Development, Equities, Management Consulting, Budgets, Financial Modeling, Real Estate, Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions, Team Building, Marketing, Business Planning, Start-ups
Javier R. Olaechea
IT Business Process Lead at Puma Energy
Master of Science, Management
Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana 1989 — 1995
Licentiate degree, Management Information Systems, General
Puma Energy March 2012 - Present
ExxonMobil August 1998 - Present
SAP BW, SAP, Petroleum, Project Management, Oil/Gas, SAP R/3, Project Planning, Change Management, Process Improvement, Team Leadership, Energy, Business Strategy, Business Analysis, Supply Chain Management, ERP, Gas, Strategic Planning, Negotiation, Downstream Oil & Gas, Business Process...
Dave Owens, CPA, CES
Specialist in Tax Free Strategies, including Self Directed (Real Estate) IRAs and 1031 Exchanges
Andrean High School 1980 — 1984
AdvantaIRA - Self Directed IRA Administrators June 2002 - Present
1031 Tax Free Strategies, LLC December 1997 - Present
Sanibel Captiva Community Bank February 2004 - Present
Midland IRA, Inc. February 2008 - Present
Real Estate Taxation, Certified Exchange..., Real Estate, Tax, Real Estate Investment, Self Directed IRAs, Municipal Bonds, Tax Free Investing, 1031 Exchanges, Property Tax, Investments, IRAs, Investment Properties
Angelo Mariano
Partner and Founder
AMP Program - Applied Management Principle
Colegio de San Juan de Letran 1993 — 1997
Dualtech Training Center 1990 — 1992
Electromechanics
Rishon June 2015 - Present
Weatherford December 2012 - February 2015
Weatherford August 2011 - December 2012
Weatherford January 2007 - August 2011
Raith Engineering and Manufacturing Co. W.L.L March 2004 - December 2006
Intel Corporation August 1997 - March 2004
Robina Textile Mills 1990 - 1992
Oilfield, Petroleum, Drilling, Engineering, Oil/Gas, Manufacturing, Energy, Logistics, Logistic Support, Onshore, Oil & Gas Industry, Petroleum Engineering, Project Planning, Project Engineering, QHSE, Energy Industry, Oil & Gas, Completions, Procurement, Gas, Pumps, Completion, Sand Control, Upstream, Project Management, Subsea Engineering, Offshore Drilling, Pressure
Kevin Rodgers
Indiana Wesleyan University 1988 — 1990
MBA, Marketing, Strategic Planning
BS, Marketing, Engineering, Strategic Planning
Allison Transmission June 1998 - Present
Indiana Wesleyan University February 1996 - Present
Public Speaking, Organizational..., Program Management, Continuous Improvement, Microsoft Office, Team Building, Change Management, Management, Strategic Planning, Project Management, Budgets, Public Policy, Leadership, Six Sigma, PowerPoint, Marketing Strategy, Process Improvement, Coaching, Data Analysis, Government, Nonprofits, Leadership Development, Training, Research, Microsoft Word, Fundraising, Public Relations, Teaching, Microsoft Excel, Analysis
Aleisa Amos-Pony
Manager, Performance Improvement at EY
MBA, Management Information Systems
EY October 2013 - Present
EY September 2010 - October 2013
Global Analytics January 2009 - September 2010
Forest Resources LLC March 2008 - January 2009
Forest Resources LLC June 2007 - November 2007
IBM February 2006 - June 2007
Majestic Star Casino September 2004 - February 2006
Cerestar USA Inc August 1999 - June 2002
Montgomery Ward 1995 - 1998
Financial Reporting, Consolidation, Accounting, Financial Analysis, SAP BPC, EPM, General Ledger, Business Process..., Financial Accounting, Account Reconciliation, Management Consulting, Microsoft Excel, Financial Statements, Variance Analysis, Financial Modeling, Business Analysis, Process Improvement
Aaron Bunten
Greater Milwaukee Area
GE Healthcare January 2013 - Present
GE Healthcare February 2012 - January 2013
GE Healthcare January 2006 - January 2013
GE Healthcare June 2000 - January 2003
Aaron Cerny
B.S., Management
Amgen September 2011 - Present
Business Process, SAP ERP, SAP HR, Business Transformation, Business Process..., SAP Implementation, Business Process..., ERP, Management Consulting, Business Analysis, SAP, SAP R/3, IT Strategy, Organizational Design, Business Process Design, Program Management, Process Improvement, Project Management, Business Intelligence, PMO, Outsourcing
Senior Associate Attorney
University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law 2010 — 2014
JD, International Business, Employment Law
Master of Science (MS), Organizational Behavior and HR Management
Tsinghua University 2008 — 2008
Certificate, Business Management in China, International Business
Brigham Young University - Hawaii 2001 — 2004
Clear Creek Tax September 2015 - Present
Clear Creek Tax June 2015 - September 2015
Voluntary Legal Services Program of Northern California August 2011 - November 2014
HP August 2010 - October 2014
Velocity Venture Capital January 2014 - May 2014
Purdue University August 2008 - August 2010
Raytheon May 2008 - August 2008
Western Wats July 2006 - April 2007
Polynesian Cultural Center October 2005 - May 2006
Six Sigma, Research, Quality Assurance, Market Research, Data Analysis, Contract Negotiation, Employment Law, Management, Training, Leadership, Process Improvement, Salesforce.com, Human Resources
Aaron K. Clark
Minden, Nebraska
Software Developer at Alpine Testing Solutions, Inc.
Graduate Certificate, Entrepreneurial Small Business
University of Maryland University College 2004 — 2012
BS, Computer and Information Science
The University of Texas at San Antonio 2002 — 2003
Alpine Testing Solutions, Inc. July 2014 - Present
Atbash Services, Inc. June 2013 - Present
Orthman Manufacturing Inc October 2012 - July 2014
Royal Engineered Composites March 2012 - September 2012
Intellicom January 2009 - March 2012
United States Marine Corps 2003 - 2008
Rackspace January 2003 - July 2003
Cimarron Software Services January 2001 - July 2002
DCDrives.com January 1998 - July 1998
Security, Active Directory, Databases, Network+, A+, CCNA, MySQL, Windows Server, Network Administration, C#, Microsoft SQL Server, Systems Engineering, Electronic Data..., Small Business, ASP.NET, APIs
Aaron Lai, CFA
Analytics Manager with Evidencebased Healthcare Expertise
University of Oxford 2011 — 2013
M.Sc., Evidence-based Healthcare
M.Sc., Sociology
City University of Hong Kong 1990 — 1994
B.Sc.(Hons), Finance
University of London 1990 — 1994
B.Sc.(Econ), Management Studies
Goethe Institute
Blue Shield of California December 2010 - Present
Vendor, Creative Development, Analytics, Data Analysis, Banking, Creative Direction, Data Warehousing, Strategy, Risk Management, SAS, Analysis, Leadership, Business Intelligence, E-commerce, Management, Data Mining, Forecasting, Outsourcing, Enterprise Software
Aashima Jain
Program Manager Strategic Sourcing Waves at United Airlines
MBA, Finance, Business Analytics, Operations Management
Accelper Consulting 2010 — 2010
Six Sigma Green Belt Training and Certification
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 2001 — 2006
Dual Degree - B. Tech & M. Tech, Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology
Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology, Japan 2005 — 2005
Exchange Student for research at Gene Function Research Centre, Molecular Genetics
University of Massachusetts, Amherst 2003 — 2004
Exchange Program, Engineering
United Airlines July 2014 - Present
A.T.Kearney July 2012 - July 2014
United Airlines June 2011 - August 2011
KPMG Advisory September 2008 - April 2009
KPMG Advisory August 2006 - August 2008
AstraZeneca June 2004 - August 2004
Financial Modeling, Management Consulting, Data Analysis, Valuation, Business Analysis, SAS, Business Strategy, Project Management, Financial Analysis, Corporate Finance, Six Sigma, Business Process..., Cross-functional Team...
Abbey Christensen
Global Treasury Analyst at Eli Lilly and Company
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Accounting, 3.97/4.0
Eli Lilly and Company July 2013 - Present
Eli Lilly and Company May 2012 - August 2012
Accounting, Communication, Intercompany..., Resume Writing, Leadership, Teaching, Management, Tutoring, Interview Preparation, Microsoft Office, Presentations, Consolidation, Mock Interviews, Job Search Strategies, Quantum
Abhishek Ray
Consultant | Researcher | Blogger | Philomath
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Management Information Systems, Economics
Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad 2009 — 2011
PGDM, Marketing, Operations
The Nottingham Trent University 2010 — 2010
Exchange Student, International Business & Economics
Motilal Nehru National Institute Of Technology 2003 — 2007
B.Tech, Electrical Engineering
St. James' School, Calcutta 2000 — 2002
ISC, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry
St. Pauls' Boarding & Day School, Calcutta 1991 — 2000
ICSE, English, Mathematics, Science
Purdue University August 2014 - Present
Enactus United States August 2014 - Present
Abbey Sciarini
Toledo, Ohio Area
Wish Program Manager at MakeAWish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana
The Ohio State University 2009 — 2012
Public Affairs, Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management
Solon High School 2004 — 2008
Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana September 2014 - Present
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana April 2013 - September 2014
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana August 2012 - December 2012
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society August 2012 - December 2012
The Jeng Family June 2012 - August 2012
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana March 2012 - June 2012
Christine's Garden February 2011 - June 2012
Dr.Visocan January 2012 - March 2012
Community Outreach, Volunteer Management, Nonprofits, Non-profits, Public Speaking, Volunteer Recruiting, Volunteering, Event Planning, Outlook, Raiser's Edge, Microsoft Office, Teamwork, Microsoft Excel, Facebook, Constant Contact, PC, Press Releases, Microsoft Publisher, Fundraisers, Research, Writing, Mac, Social Media
Abby Knight
Cost Accounting / Internal Audit / Financial Analysis / SAP / BW / BPC
Management, Finance, Spanish
SC Johnson 2014 - 2015
Purdue University 2010 - 2013
General Motors 2011 - 2011
Leadership, Teamwork, Marketing, Time Management, Customer Service, Sales, Spanish, Management, Financial Analysis, Data Analysis, Spanish-speaking, Spanish to English, Analytical Approach, Creative Strategy
Abby Vandewalle
Lafayette, Indiana Area
Accounting Manager Cargill Ag Horizons
Cargill January 2015 - Present
Chemtura March 2011 - December 2014
Purdue University October 2009 - March 2011
Abbott Laboratories May 2007 - February 2009
Channel Bio Corp. 2009 - 2009
Finance, Financial Analysis, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Forecasting, Cost Accounting, Financial Reporting, Hyperion Enterprise, Financial Modeling, SAP, Variance Analysis, Accounting, US GAAP, Financial Forecasting, Managerial Finance, Financial Accounting, Process Improvement, Strategic Financial..., Data Analysis
Abhijit Bharadwaj
MBA candidate at Purdue University. Marketer with a penchant for customer delight
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Business Development, Product Marketing
R. V. College of Engineering, Bangalore 2003 — 2007
Bachelors in Engineering (B.E), Industrial Engineering and Management
St Xaviers School,Durgapur,WB 1990 — 2001
Purdue University Krannert School of Management August 2014 - Present
Amazon May 2015 - August 2015
JDA Software January 2011 - March 2014
i2 Technologies/JDA Software October 2007 - December 2010
i2 Technologies February 2007 - May 2007
Business Analysis, Supply Chain Management, Customer Retention, Accounting Management, Business Relationship..., Customer Engagement, CRM, Supply Chain Consulting, Business Process, Software Implementation, Business Development, Strategy, Team Management, Training
Abhijit Chaudhury
Professor at Bryant University
PhD, Management
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 1967 — 1974
Bryant University July 2000 - Present
University of Massachusetts July 1990 - July 2000
JV between British Petroleum and General Electric Co, Abu Dhabi 1980 - 1986
Cleveland Bridge & Engineering, Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates 1977 - 1980
Larsen & Toubro Limited 1974 - 1976
Higher Education, Research, Teaching, Leadership, E-Learning, Data Analysis, Statistics, Public Speaking, Instructional Design, Qualitative Research, PowerPoint, Curriculum Design, Leadership Development, University Teaching, Analysis
Abhishek K, Pandey
Consultant at Silver Spring Networks
Master of Business Administration (MBA), MIS, Marketing & Strategy Management
National Institute of Technology Rourkela 2002 — 2006
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Computer Science and Engineering, Honors
TIBCO Software Inc. August 2014 - March 2015
Del Mar January 2014 - August 2014
Research Assistant, Purdue University January 2013 - May 2014
Broadcom May 2013 - August 2013
Cisco Systems February 2010 - July 2012
Aricent Group June 2006 - February 2010
Project Management, Software Project..., Team Management, Integration, Process Improvement, Team Leadership, SNMP, Project Planning, Strategy, Agile Project Management, TCL, Testing, Analysis, Requirements Analysis, Linux, TCP/IP, Telnet, Business Development, IEEE 802.11, CCNA, Operations Management, Business Strategy, Requirements Gathering, Leadership, Management, OSPF, ClearCase, Core Java, Agile Methodologies, RIP, GPRS, Sun Certified Java..., Project Coordination, Team-oriented, Pre-sales, Software Development, Unix, Software Design, SDLC, Management Consulting, Wireless, Competitive Analysis, Market Research, Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Cross-functional Team..., Business Analysis, Cloud Computing, Telecommunications, SaaS
Abid Ansari, CPA
Sr. Director Deal Finance and M&A, World Wide Business Development at GlaxoSmithKline
Goldey Beacom College 2003 — 2006
MBA, Finance and Operations Management
B.S. Chemical Engineering
GlaxoSmithKline November 2013 - Present
GlaxoSmithKline September 2011 - November 2013
MedImmune October 2009 - September 2011
MedImmune October 2006 - October 2008
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) October 2003 - October 2006
Dow AgroSciences May 2002 - August 2002
ExxonMobil September 1998 - August 2000
Due Diligence, Business Strategy, Business Planning, Business Process..., Market Analysis, Competitive Intelligence, Clinical Development, Business Analysis, Market Research, Management, Budgets, Drug Development, Change Management, Corporate Finance, Oncology, Portfolio Management, Pharmaceutical Industry, Strategy, Financial Modeling, Finance, Medical Devices, FDA, Cross-functional Team..., GMP, Biotechnology, Mergers & Acquisitions, Forecasting, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Strategic Financial..., Life Sciences, Leadership, Process Improvement, Strategic Planning, Financial Analysis, SAP, Analytics, Biopharmaceuticals, Accounting
Ashley Boyle
Global Talent Development at Novelis
Bachelor of Science, Business Management
Novelis May 2010 - Present
National Basketball Association February 2010 - May 2010
National Basketball Association July 2008 - February 2010
National Basketball Association July 2007 - July 2008
Talent Management, Human Resources, Succession Planning, Employee Engagement, Employee Relations, Leadership Development, Onboarding, Performance Management, Workforce Planning, Personnel Management, Organizational..., Training Delivery, Team Building, Employee Training, HR Policies, PeopleSoft, Coaching, 360 Feedback, Instructional Design, New Hire Orientations, Training, Vendor Management
Abram Mercedes
NA TSS Business Operations Executive at IBM
Masters in Science, Finance and Mgt
BA, Marketing and Management
Program Management, Process Improvement, Business Process, Project Management, Account Management, Cross-functional Team..., Business Development, CRM, Outsourcing, Team Leadership, Leadership, Change Management, Business Analysis, Sales Enablement, Product Management, Business Intelligence, Business Process..., Cloud Computing, Integration, Management, Mergers, Negotiation, Product Development, Strategy, Vendor Management, Sales
Acaimie Catron
District Manager Intern at Aldi
Bachelor of Science (BS), Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Bachelor's Degree, Marketing/Marketing Management, General, A
ALDI August 2015 - Present
IN3 Applications May 2013 - Present
ALDI May 2015 - July 2015
Mullen Family Concessions July 2008 - July 2014
Indiana State Fair July 2011 - August 2012
Local Residences September 2011 - May 2012
Leadership Development, Communication Skills, Community Engagement, Community Service, Youth Leadership, Public Speaking, Organization, Public Relations, Customer Service, Teamwork, Microsoft Word, Marketing, Microsoft Excel, Time Management, Management, Leadership, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, Social Media, Event Planning, Communication
Amanda Spicer
Enthusiastic Indy Real Estate Professional / REALTOR
Bachelors, Management
Miami of Ohio University 2000 — 2001
Carpenter Realtors February 2013 - Present
Inglenook of Carmel May 2013 - Present
Leslie Jones Weddings & Events January 2013 - Present
Conrad Indianapolis July 2008 - December 2012
Omni Hotels June 2005 - August 2008
Pacers Sports & Entertainment June 2004 - June 2005
Sales, Hotels, Corporate Events, Weddings, Meeting Planning, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Hospitality Management, Event Management, Catering, Event Planning, Food & Beverage, Real Estate, Buying a Home, Selling a Home, Social Media, Marketing
Larry Dunn
Contributing Editor at I CARE IF YOU LISTEN; Blogger at International Contemporary Ensemble; Honcho at Acornometrics
MBA, General Management
Elmhurst College (IL) 1980 — 1982
BS-Mathematics and Computer Science, Algorithms, System Analysis and Design, Mathematics
I CARE IF YOU LISTEN November 2012 - Present
International Contemporary Ensemble 2012 - Present
I CARE IF YOU LISTEN 2012 - Present
Acornometrics 2012 - Present
Acorn Ridge Gardens 1988 - 2013
The First Tee of Valparaiso (IN) 2010 - 2012
Abalta Technologies, Inc. October 2003 - December 2008
NAVTEQ Corporation 2000 - 2003
SEI Information Technology (now Solugenix) 1985 - 1997
Location Based Services, Strategic Partnerships, Product Management, Go-to-market Strategy, Mobile Devices, Consumer Electronics, Product Marketing, Mobile Applications, Mobile Advertising, Start-ups, Strategy, Cross-functional Team..., E-commerce, CRM, Management, Analytics, Product Planning, Mobile Content, Agile Project Management, Mobile Strategy, Product Requirements, Digital Marketing, Mobile Technology, New Business Development, Blogging, P&L Management, Mobile Internet, Big Data, Multi-channel Marketing, Consulting, Account Management, Analysis, Telecommunications, Professional Services, Product Lifecycle..., Integration, SaaS
Angela C. Sutherland
Experienced Controller
JPOrleans August 2015 - Present
ROCH Capital Inc. (fka RAA Management, LLC) July 2012 - August 2015
The Siegfried Group, LLP May 2011 - July 2012
FXI FOAMEX INNOVATIONS May 2009 - March 2011
FOAMEX INTERNATIONAL, INC December 2007 - May 2009
FOAMEX INTERNATIONAL, INC May 2006 - December 2007
SUPERIOR ESSEX February 2006 - May 2006
HENRIOTT GROUP July 2002 - January 2006
WABASH NATIONAL CORP April 2000 - January 2002
HONEYWELL, INC December 1999 - April 2000
General Ledger, Financial Analysis, Business Process..., Internal Controls, Microsoft Excel, Payroll, Pricing, Fixed Assets, Financial Reporting, Accounting
David Acton
Columbus, Indiana
Finance Specialist at SIHO Insurance Services
SIHO Insurance Services May 2015 - Present
Reams Asset Management January 2015 - May 2015
Reams Asset Management May 2014 - August 2014
Mancino's Pizzas and Grinders July 2010 - August 2014
Leadership, Management, Microsoft Excel, Finance, Mathematics, PowerPoint, Time Management, Microsoft Office, Problem Solving, Data Analysis, Microsoft Word, Financial Analysis, Credit Analysis
Adam Boggs
Senior Director, Sales Practice at BTS
University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business 2007 — 2010
MBA, Strategy, Marketing
Bachelor of Science, Management, Marketing
Associate of Science, Computer Technology
Wheeler High School
BTS January 2015 - Present
Organizational..., Proposal Writing, New Business Development, B2B, Customer Relations, Strategy, Consulting, Customer Service, Competitive Analysis, CRM, Leadership, Lead Generation, Sales, Leadership Development, Negotiation, Marketing, Management, Business Strategy, Management Consulting
Adam Grover
IT Business Analyst / Project Manager
Management, Business, Finance, Marketing, Accounting
Management, Business Management, Finance and Marketing
Allegion, PLC May 2014 - Present
Allegion, PLC December 2013 - May 2014
Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies June 2012 - November 2013
Homeland HealthCare June 2011 - June 2012
Homeland HealthCare May 2010 - June 2011
Homeland HealthCare June 2009 - May 2010
Call Center, Lead Generation, Marketing Strategy, Strategic Planning, Market Research, Product Development, Email Marketing, Process Improvement, New Business Development, Excel, Budgeting, PowerPoint, Analytics, Microsoft Office, Business Strategy, Competitive Analysis, Analysis, Business Analysis, Word, Market Analysis, Account Management, Call Centers, Microsoft Word, Sales, CRM, Team Leadership, Microsoft Excel, Budgets, Insurance, Project Management
Adam Wenz
Modesto, California Area
Director of Operations Spirits at E. & J. Gallo Winery
MS, Business Management
University of Evansville 1989 — 1994
BS, Mechanical Engineering
E. & J. Gallo Winery September 2012 - Present
E. & J. Gallo Winery September 2010 - September 2012
SABIC Innovative Plastics January 2010 - September 2010
SABIC Innovative Plastics January 2008 - January 2010
GE Plastics March 2005 - January 2008
GE Plastics November 2002 - March 2005
GE Plastics November 2001 - November 2002
GE Plastics September 1998 - November 2001
GE Plastics September 1997 - September 1998
GE Plastics November 1995 - September 1997
Operations Leadership, Six Sigma, Manufacturing, Process Control, Industrial Engineering, Business Process..., Process Engineering, Continuous Improvement, Cross-functional Team..., FMEA, Factory, Plastics, Process Optimization, Process Simulation, Root Cause Analysis, Lean Manufacturing, Operations Management
Andrew Gallagher
Manager of Sales Operations at jetAVIVA
jetAVIVA April 2012 - Present
Aviation, Aircraft, CFI, Cirrus, Cessna Aircraft, Commercial Aviation, Operations Management, Flights, Program Management, Personal Training &..., Piper Meridian, Aircraft Marketing, Turbine Aircraft Sales, Maintenance & Repair, Leadership, Training, General Aviation, Airlines, Flight Training, Business Aviation
Adib Hazlami
Business Development Executive at DeliverEat
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Management, 3.41
Universiti Teknologi MARA 2009 — 2010
American Degree Foundation Program (ADFP)
Alam Shah Science School (Asis) 2007 — 2008
Malaysian Certificate of Education, Science Stream, 10 A
Aditya Chaudhari
Student at Purdue University Krannert School of Management
Bachelors in Science, Economics and Agricultural Economics
Convenient Store May 2011 - August 2011
Atrium Wine and Spirits May 2008 - August 2009
Adrianne Bowers, PHR
Sr. Benefits Analyst at Molex
Master's, Human Resource Management
Dension University 1998 — 2002
Molex June 2014 - Present
AkzoNobel February 2008 - June 2014
Succession Planning, Employee Benefits, Employee Relations, Deferred Compensation, HRIS, Human Resources, Retirement Benefits, Qualified Retirement..., Employee Training, Personnel Management
Adrienne Binder
Corporate Communications Specialist at TreeHouse Foods
TreeHouse Foods May 2013 - Present
TreeHouse Foods July 2010 - May 2013
South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority January 2007 - July 2010
Trade Shows, Marketing Strategy, Public Speaking, Budgets, Event Management, Corporate Communications, Marketing, Event Planning, Marketing Communications, Strategic Planning, Social Media Marketing
Andrew Urban
Fort Wayne, Indiana Area
Transformational Corporate Real Estate Leader • Analytically Driven • Globally Focused
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Business Administration and Management, General
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Business Economics
St. Edward High School 2003 — 2007
High School Diploma, College Preparatory
Zimmer Biomet May 2015 - Present
Zimmer, Inc. June 2013 - May 2015
Eaton Corporation June 2012 - July 2013
Eaton Aerospace June 2011 - June 2012
Beta Theta Pi November 2010 - January 2011
Charles Schwab June 2010 - August 2010
Project Management, Economic Development..., Financial Modeling, Strategy, Corporate Real Estate, Real Estate Transactions, Commercial Real Estate..., International Real..., Financial Analysis, SharePoint, Finance, Program Management, Six Sigma, Microsoft Excel, Financial Reporting, Project Planning, Public Speaking, Strategic Financial..., Leadership, Analysis, Cross-functional Team..., Site Selections, Budgets
Andrew Glassman
AVP, Strategy and Process Design, OMBA Program at Bank of America
Masters of Business Administration, Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering
Bank of America June 2013 - June 2014
GE Healthcare May 2012 - August 2012
BaroSense, Inc. June 2010 - June 2011
BaroSense, Inc. May 2009 - August 2009
Magnet Design May 2007 - August 2007
Innovative Thinking, Product Design, Machining, Packaging, Programming, Machine Design, Sustainability, CNC, Medical Devices, Prototyping, Solidworks, Lathe, Matlab, Injection Molding
Doctoral Student at Purdue University
University of Maryland - Robert H. Smith School of Business 2010 — 2012
Masters of Business Administration (MBA), Business Administration
Kuwait University - College of Engineering and Petroleum 2004 — 2008
Bachelor of Science (BS), Computer Engineering
Kuwait University September 2009 - August 2010
Kuwait Fund September 2008 - September 2009
Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Communications, Programming, Java, C++, VB.NET, Web Development, ASP.NET, HTML, Database Design, SQL, Graphic Design, Photography, University Teaching, Research, Data Analysis, Testing, Analysis, Data Mining, Databases, SAS, Matlab, LaTeX, Statistics, Statistical Modeling, Econometrics, Software Project..., Software Development, Project Management, Mathematical Modeling, Computer Science, Business Analytics, Market Research, Simulations, Market Analysis, Management Consulting, Software Engineering, Teaching, Marketing Research, Microsoft SQL Server, Software Documentation, Higher Education, Business Analysis
Aimee Moran, MSM
Treasurer at Hope United Methodist Church Southfield, MI
Michigan State University 1973 — 1977
MOSES March 2010 - May 2011
Alumalight LLC June 2009 - January 2010
Mosaic Telecommunications LLC February 2008 - May 2009
DefenderTech International Solutions, LLC January 2006 - October 2007
Back Office Support Systems, Inc. July 2000 - December 2005
Amber Systems, Inc July 1997 - July 2000
Miller, Canfield PLC 1994 - 1997
Expotech, Inc 1986 - 1993
Wayne County Air Pollution Control Department/EPA November 1984 - November 1985
US Government Food An Drug Administration October 1983 - January 1984
Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Financial Reporting, Data Management, Operations Management, Project Management, Microsoft Access, Staff Development, Process Optimization, Quality Management, Analysis, Accounting, Vendor Management, Payroll Management, Logistics Management, QuickBooks, Peachtree, Access, Software Documentation, Business Process..., Business Analysis, Finance, Budgets, Payroll, Process Improvement, Start-ups, Managerial Finance, Team Building, Training, Management, Business Strategy, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, Executive Management, Strategic Planning, Strategy, Program Management, Project Planning, Forecasting, Negotiation, Business Planning, Inventory Management, Marketing
Angela Brigger
Sr. Director, Management Support Applications at Siemens PLM Software
Siemens PLM Software (formerly UGS and SDRC) March 1996 - Present
CarnaudMetalbox May 1995 - March 1996
Zeller Plastik June 1992 - May 1995
SAP, ERP, Process Improvement, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Accounting, Business Process, Business Analysis, Enterprise Software, Change Management, Financial Analysis, Financial Reporting, Integration, Management, Business Process..., Business Intelligence, Strategic Planning, Cross-functional Team..., Strategic Financial..., Forecasting
A.J. Matsuura
President at Pleasant Hill Properties, LLC
Vassar College 1976 — 1980
A.B., Economics
Pleasant Hill Properties, LLC April 2015 - Present
EFM Capital Partners March 2005 - Present
Promotion Distributing (PMD) May 2010 - September 2014
Kinsman Capital November 1998 - February 2004
Pacific Corporate Group August 1994 - October 1998
Ernst & Young Corporate Finance March 1986 - July 1994
AJ Silverman
CEO at The SpyBox Corporation , CTO/COO Cofounder @ Mooch Group, Inc.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Business Management with a Concentration in International Business
Queensland University of Technology Business School 2012 — 2012
Semester Abroad, International Business
City University London 2011 — 2011
Leland High School
Mooch, Inc. July 2015 - Present
The SpyBox Corporation January 2014 - Present
Seilevel June 2013 - August 2014
Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center May 2010 - August 2010
Second Harvest Food Bank June 2008 - September 2008
Microsoft Office, Public Speaking, Research, Project Management, Customer Service, Event Planning, Social Media, Photoshop, InDesign, Photography, Creativity Skills, Business Planning, New Venture Development, Risk Taking, Social Networking, Data Analysis, Graphic Design, Adobe Creative Suite, Management, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Word
Adam Weinstein
Business Operations Analytics
LinkedIn March 2014 - Present
Bright.com (acquired by LinkedIn) June 2012 - March 2014
Raion Capital October 2009 - June 2012
enGreet (acquired by Designer Greetings) January 2009 - April 2012
ExactTarget August 2007 - October 2009
Deloitte Consulting July 2005 - August 2007
Management Consulting, Financial Modeling, Software Design, System Architecture, Product Management, Technology Strategy..., Process Improvement, Email Marketing, Software Engineering, Strategic Planning, Storyboarding, Cost Reduction, Business Intelligence, Data Analysis, Entrepreneurship, SQL, Technical Leadership, User Interface Design, Digital Printing, Offshore Software..., Online Marketing, Disaster Recovery, Turnarounds, Volunteer Leadership, Turn Around Management, Business Development, Analytics, Start-ups, E-commerce, Web Analytics, User Experience
Abhay Kashyap
MBA, MIS & Operations
Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee 1989 — 1993
Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Chemical Engineering
INVIOX Software Group June 2014 - April 2015
E2open November 2012 - May 2014
JDA Software June 2007 - March 2012
McAfee February 2003 - July 2005
Indymac Bank November 1999 - September 2002
SunGard August 1996 - October 1999
Supply Chain Management, Forecasting, Inventory Management, Software Project..., Program Management, Business Analysis, Enterprise Software, J2EE Application..., ASP.NET, .NET, SOAP, WFC, MVC Architecture, Oracle SQL, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle PL/SQL..., Statistical Modeling, Linear Programming, Regression Models, E-commerce, SaaS, Integration, Databases, Analysis, Business Intelligence, ERP, Business Process, Cloud Computing, Supply Chain, Agile Methodologies, Solution Architecture, Leadership, Requirements Analysis, SDLC, Project Planning, Cross-functional Team..., Product Management, Strategy, Business Process..., Software Development
Angeli Kritsas
Finance Manager at Belden Inc.
Bachelor of Science, Accounting, Management, Finance
Belden Inc. December 2014 - Present
Belden Inc. June 2014 - December 2014
Belden Inc. September 2013 - May 2014
West Penn Wire June 2012 - September 2013
Belden Inc. June 2011 - June 2012
Whole Foods Market April 2010 - January 2011
Purdue Mac Users Club August 2009 - December 2010
UroPartners LLC. May 2007 - July 2009
Accounting, Cost Accounting, Account Reconciliation, Budget, Due Diligence, Microsoft Excel, Financial Controlling, Financial Reporting, Process Improvement, Analysis, Financial Analysis, Hyperion Interactive..., Hyperion HFM, Financial Accounting, Lean Management, Continuous Improvement, Budgets, Leadership, Sales, Training, Accounts Payable, Teamwork, Forecasting, Financial Forecasting, Hyperion Enterprise, Finance
Akshit Bajpai
2nd year MBA Student at Purdue University Krannert School of Management
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Operations and Finance
Army Institute of Technology 2005 — 2009
BE, Mechanical
Techshot Lighting, LLC May 2015 - August 2015
Honeywell turbo technologies September 2009 - May 2014
Six Sigma, Kaizen, Continuous Improvement, Supply Chain Management, Value Stream Mapping, FMEA, Lean Manufacturing, Microsoft Excel, Engineering, Analysis, Project Management, Operations Management, Team Management, Management, Manufacturing, Leadership
Akio Kudo
University of Tsukuba 2006 — 2010
Bachelor, International Affairs
Ex Corporation February 2011 - February 2011
Tsukuba University - Department of Biology February 2010 - February 2010
Japan Agricultural Research Center for Agricultural Science (JIRCAS) June 2005 - July 2005
Alaina Vorndran
Restaurant Supervisor with White Lodging Services at Marriott Indianapolis Downtown
Purdue University, Brian Lamb School of Communication 2008 — 2012
B.A., Communication, Public Relations & Rhetorical Advocacy
Certificate, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Marriott International October 2014 - Present
FitzMark, Inc. September 2013 - June 2014
The Bridgewater Club May 2013 - August 2013
CJD Consulting, Inc. July 2012 - October 2012
Central Catholic High School September 2010 - December 2010
Harrison Lake Country Club March 2006 - January 2010
Public Relations, Marketing Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Training, Event Planning, Marketing, Leadership, Time Management, Social Networking, Social Media, Editing, Customer Service, Sales, Social Media Marketing, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Communication, Management
Abram Albee
Rochester, Minnesota Area
Market Vice President at Home Federal Savings Bank
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Leadership
Presentation College 2006 — 2008
Bachelor's, Business Management
Home Federal Savings Bank August 2015 - Present
Albee Rentals May 2011 - Present
Albee Property Maintenance March 2002 - Present
Wells Fargo December 2009 - July 2015
Banking, Investments, Credit, Customer Service, Strategic Financial..., Strategic Planning, Financial Analysis, Coaching, Insurance, Public Speaking, Sales, Microsoft Office, Management, Team Building, Leadership, Leadership Development
Alejandro Alex Parilli
Site Procurement Director at Tesoro
Executive MBA - Candidate, International Masters of Management
TIAS School for Business and Society 2014 — 2015
Universidad Metropolitana (VE) 1994 — 1999
Engineer, Mechanical Engineering
Tesoro Corporation February 2015 - Present
BP March 2011 - February 2015
BHP Billiton Petroleum July 2010 - March 2011
BHP Billiton Petroleum December 2008 - July 2010
Cheniere Energy May 2007 - August 2008
CEMEX May 2006 - May 2007
CEMEX July 2005 - April 2006
CEMEX January 2005 - July 2005
CEMEX April 2002 - July 2005
CEMEX September 1999 - April 2002
Procurement, Supply Chain, Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain Management, Materials Management, Cross-functional Team..., Global Sourcing, Contract Management, Purchasing, Spend Analysis, Cost Management, Contract Negotiation, SAP, Process Improvement, Vendor Management, Management, Leadership, ERP, Sourcing, MRP, Logistics, Operations Management, Business Process, Supply Chain..., Petroleum, Oil/Gas, Engineering, Inventory Management, Continuous Improvement, Business Process..., EPC, Upstream, Supply Management, Project Planning, Negotiation, Energy, E-procurement, Strategy, Program Management, Downstream Oil, SAP R/3, Procure-to-Pay, Refinery, Supervisory Skills, Warehousing, Offshore Oil, Cement, Refining, Oil, Procurement Contracts
Alexander Brockman, CPA, CFE
Accounting Manager at SimpliSafe
Certificate of Advanced Accountancy
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Accounting; Management
Oliver Ames High School 2002 — 2006
SimpliSafe May 2015 - Present
Marcum LLP November 2011 - April 2015
IFRS, US GAAP, Financial Audits, SEC filings, PCAOB standards, Assurance, Certified Fraud Examiner, Not for Profit, CPA, REIT, Auditing, Accounting, Forensic Accounting
Alex Cross
Healthcare IT Consultant Team Lead
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies, 3.91
Bachelor of Science, Management, 3.71
Cook County Health and Hospital System (CCHHS) February 2013 - Present
Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS) January 2011 - February 2013
Cerner Corporation August 2007 - January 2011
Purdue University January 2007 - May 2007
NV Homes May 2006 - August 2006
Sovereign Bank May 2005 - August 2005
Flying Eagle Car July 2003 - August 2005
Cerner, Healthcare IT, Troubleshooting, Healthcare, Microsoft Office, Excel, Hospitals, Healthcare Information..., CPOE, EHR, Leadership, Training, Project Management, Management, EMR, Consulting, Process Improvement, Customer Service
Alexander Gornakov
CEO at Alternative Gaming Solutions
Public Relations and Rhetorical Advocacy, Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
Economics, Marketing
Alternative Gaming Solutions, Inc. March 2011 - Present
Aviobot Solutions LLC May 2012 - Present
Gornakov Group LLC August 2007 - May 2010
U-FARM February 2010 - May 2012
Casino Technology May 2008 - December 2009
Public Relations, Casino, Online Gaming, Sales, Gaming Industry, Gambling, Game Development, Game Design, Product Management, Interactive..., Advertising, Team Management, Team Leadership, Online Advertising, Project Management, Event Management, Marketing, Strategic Planning, Aviation, Press Releases, E-commerce, Social Games, Online Gambling, Strategy, Gaming
Alexander Ko
Sheppard Afb, Texas
Second Lieutenant of the United States Air Force
Management, Operations Management
PITT OHIO June 2012 - August 2012
United States Air Force January 2012 - May 2012
United States Air Force August 2011 - December 2011
Employee Training, Recruiting, Leadership, Time Management, Training, Management, Project Management, Customer Service, Microsoft Office, Communication, Interpersonal Skill, Organization
Operations Specialist at Wide Open West
Bachelor of Science, Economics; Marketing
Carl Sandburg High School
Wide Open West April 2015 - Present
Dish Network August 2014 - March 2015
Fifth Third Bank August 2013 - September 2013
Dish Network May 2013 - August 2013
BrownHub May 2012 - August 2012
Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Adobe Creative Suite, PowerPoint, Management, Marketing Strategy, Cpr Certified, Marketing, Marketing Research, Social Media, Research, Retail, Leadership, Social Media Marketing, Customer Service, Time Management, Sales, Market Research
Alex Fenske
President, Chicago Southland Homes
Bachelor of Science, Management
Rich Township High School District 227 1998 — 2002
Keller Williams Realty, Inc. February 2013 - Present
Lakewood Capital Inc. October 2007 - Present
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage July 2008 - January 2013
Wells Fargo Financial June 2006 - October 2007
Ryan Homes May 2005 - August 2005
Enterprise Rent-A-Car May 2004 - August 2004
Real Estate, Investment Properties, Sellers, First Time Home Buyers, Residential Homes, Investors, Real Property, HUD, Investments, Foreclosures, Sales, Selling, Listings, Mortgage Lending, Single Family Homes, Real Estate Transactions, Property Management, Credit, Property, Short Sales, Real Estate Development, Condos, Small Business, REO, Relocation, Referrals, Negotiation, Buyer Representation
Alexander Marquez
Executive Vice President at NantMobile™
University of Nevada-Las Vegas 1987 — 1992
EE, Semiconductor Physics
San Pedro High School 1984 — 1987
HS Diploma, N/A
NantMobile™ September 2015 - Present
Plug and Play Tech Center January 2015 - Present
Silicon Valley Boilermaker Innovation Group (SV BIG) September 2012 - Present
Kasper Enterprises January 2013 - Present
CafeX Communications January 2015 - July 2015
Expect Labs November 2014 - July 2015
Saffron Technology June 2014 - July 2015
USAA January 2014 - July 2015
University of Nevada Las Vegas January 2007 - December 2014
ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG April 2013 - March 2014
Digital Media, Venture Capital, Mergers, Start-ups, Product Management, Acquisitions, Online Gaming, Casino Gaming, Digital Video, Online Advertising, CEOs, Entrepreneurship, Interactive Gaming, Strategic Partnerships, New Media, E-commerce, Private Equity, Business Development, Cloud Computing, Corporate Development, Mobile Devices, Mergers & Acquisitions, Monetization, Product Marketing, SaaS, Enterprise Software, Product Development, Strategy, Executive Management, Business Strategy, Analytics, Mobile Applications, Software Development, Video Games, Competitive Analysis, Integration
Bo(Alice) Bao
Business Analyst at Goldman Sachs
Minor, Statistics
Bachelor of Sciences, Management and Accounting
Goldman Sachs January 2014 - Present
Purdue University January 2012 - December 2013
Goldman Sachs May 2013 - August 2013
Swift Fuels LLC January 2013 - April 2013
Alpha Kappa Psi June 2012 - December 2012
Siemens May 2012 - August 2012
SAP, SAS, Visio, HTML, XHTML, Java, CSS3, JMP, Minitab, Analysis, Microsoft Office, Accounting, Statistics, Microsoft Excel, SQL, PowerPoint, Finance, Matlab, Time Management, Data Analysis, Teamwork, Leadership, Microsoft Word, Team Leadership, Visual Basic, Access, Mandarin, SharePoint, Financial Analysis, Business Process..., VBA, SPSS
Alicia Garatoni
Real Estate Consultant with Keller Williams
Keller Williams Integrity March 2005 - Present
Lake Street Council July 2013 - Present
Keller Williams Realty 2005 - Present
Uptown Association 2007 - January 2014
Uptown Association 2009 - 2012
Coldwell Banker Burnet May 2001 - February 2005
march1 2000 - 2001
Whittman-Hart / marchFIRST 1999 - 2000
Magenic 1996 - 2000
The Summit Group 1990 - 1994
Relocation, First Time Home Buyers, Sellers, Buyer Representation, Real Estate, Foreclosures, Single Family Homes, Selling, New Home Sales, Investment Properties, Professional Mentoring, Short Sales, Referrals, Real Estate Transactions, Investors, Condos, Sales, Property, Rentals, Negotiation, Real Estate Development, Home Staging
Alicia Zuiker
Masters of Science, Human Resource Management
Alma College 1999 — 2003
Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration and Psychology
Human Resources, Recruiting, Personnel Management, Leadership, Training, HR Policies, Organizational Design, Employment Law, Start-ups, Policy, Restructuring, Sales, Call Centers, Talent Management, Compensation & Benefit, Performance Management, Talent Acquisition, Succession Planning, Employee Relations
Alisa Ferree
Business Transformation Director at Xerox
MS, Management -- Human Resources & Marketing
Indiana State University 1989 — 1992
BS, Psychology and Communications (Magna Cum Laude)
Xerox May 2014 - Present
Xerox May 2012 - May 2014
IBM Global Services July 1998 - May 2012
National City Bank (Now PNC Bank) September 1994 - August 1996
Change Management, Strategy, Management Consulting, Business Intelligence, CRM, PMO, Strategic Planning, Integration, Business Process, Business Development, Leadership, Management, Organizational..., Enterprise Software, Consulting, Project Planning, Team Leadership, Governance, Team Building, Project Delivery, Human Resources, Business Process...
Alison Chepela
Bachelor's Degree, Management, Marketing, International Business & Economics
MonoSol, Kuraray WS Film Division April 2015 - Present
Exceeds referral goals, Promotions, Marketing Research, Product Marketing, Marketing Communications, Marketing Management, Travel, Leisure Travel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, Excel, Customer Relations, Customer Service, Inventory Management, Issue Internal..., Customer Recognition, Windows XP Professional, Creative Design, Administration, Presentation Development, Group Presentations, Planning, Fast Learner, Research, Windows 7, Microsoft Publisher, Data Entry, Program Management, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Project Management, Microsoft Office, Sales, Account Management, Marketing, Time Management
Alison Kane
Chief Strategy Officer at zvelo
BA, Business Administration, Computer Science
zvelo, Inc. July 2015 - Present
Free & For Sale June 2015 - Present
Rogue Media June 2015 - Present
Newzmate January 2014 - Present
Rogue Media April 2013 - July 2015
MediaNews Group Digital First Media December 2011 - April 2013
The Denver Post March 2009 - December 2011
Local Matters January 2008 - March 2009
Atlas Solutions aQuantive Microsoft February 2005 - December 2007
Pinnacle Ventures February 2004 - January 2005
Strategy, Digital Marketing, Start-ups, E-commerce, Product Management, Online Advertising, Digital Media, Strategic Planning, Business Development, Social Media Marketing, Cross-functional Team..., Strategic Partnerships, Project Management, SEM, Mobile Devices, Social Media, Mergers & Acquisitions, Management, Digital Strategy
Alison Krebs
Director Market Intelligence at National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Bachelor of Science (BS), Agricultural Economics
New Trier High School 1976 — 1980
National Cattlemen's Beef Association June 2014 - Present
Community Volunteer September 2013 - June 2014
CoBank July 2011 - August 2013
Adayana August 2008 - June 2011
Self-employed September 2004 - July 2008
Eli Lilly February 2003 - August 2004
Eli Lilly October 2000 - February 2003
Eli Lilly October 1999 - October 2000
Elanco June 1997 - October 1999
Elanco May 1994 - June 1997
Strategy, Market Research, Competitive Analysis, Cross-functional Team..., Marketing, Strategic Planning, Leadership, Business Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Product Marketing, Management, CRM, Program Management, Marketing Management, Global Marketing, International Business, Project Management, Analysis, Product Management, Management Consulting, Industry Research, Business Planning, Business Development, Forecasting, Economics, Project Planning, B2B Marketing, Social Media, Digital Marketing, Budgets, Content Marketing, Pull Marketing, Data Analysis, Microsoft Office, Vendor Management, Push Marketing, Presentations, Product Development, Training, Editing, Copywriting, Public Speaking, Market Intelligence
April Littleton
Purdue University Graduate
Bachelors of Science, Business Management
RBC, Inc December 2011 - April 2012
M&K Consultant, Inc October 2011 - November 2011
Entertainment Cruises May 2011 - September 2011
Aldi Inc November 2009 - May 2011
Purdue University June 2009 - August 2009
Caterpillar Inc June 2008 - May 2009
Sales, Customer Service, Management, Access, Microsoft Excel, Hospitality, PowerPoint, Leadership, Training, Customer Satisfaction, Team Building, Microsoft Office, Reporting & Analysis
Alan Liu
Materials Manager at Motorola Mobility
Babson College - Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business 2011 — 2012
MBA, Managing Technology Intensive Enterprise Track
Bachelor of Science, Industrial Management
Motorola October 2013 - Present
GreenWorld Technologies LLC January 2013 - October 2013
Xhale O2, LLC June 2012 - October 2012
Article One Partners August 2011 - December 2011
Foxconn Electronics July 2010 - April 2011
Foxconn Electronics March 2010 - July 2010
Foxconn Electronics May 2007 - March 2010
Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Entrepreneurship, Warehouse Management, International Business, Program Management, Partner Management, Creative Problem Solving, Cross-functional Team..., Innovation, Contract Negotiations, Inventory Management, Logistics Management, Process Improvement, Microsoft Office, Google Docs, Cross-functional Team..., Logistics, Lean Manufacturing, Supply Chain, SAP, Leadership, Contract Negotiation, Business Strategy, Manufacturing, Analysis, Product Development, Materials Management, Management, Business Planning, Negotiation, Strategic Planning, Quality Assurance, Warehousing, Continuous Improvement, Six Sigma, Forecasting
Allen Richwine
Experienced Project Manager
MBA, Quantitative Methods (Operations Research)
BS, General Management / Finance
Columbia Threadneedle Investments, US (Ameriprise) March 2015 - May 2015
River Towers Condominium Association November 2013 - June 2014
Brandow Design April 2013 - June 2014
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. September 2012 - March 2013
Target November 2011 - February 2012
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage July 2011 - August 2011
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. July 2010 - June 2011
Harmon January 2008 - June 2008
Ameriprise Financial January 1998 - June 2007
Jennie-O Turkey Store September 2001 - November 2003
PMO, SharePoint, Visio, PMP, Project Management, Management, Program Management, Training, Access, Software Development, Analysis
Allison Brauer
Gatorade Sports Marketing Intern
Gatorade 2011 - 2015
Sports Marketing, Event Management, Marketing Event Planning, Product Marketing, Marketing, Management, Event Planning
Alyssa Knapp
South Bend, Indiana Area
Economics & Finance Student at Purdue | Seeking Internship
Bachelor of Science (BS), Double major in Economics with Management Concentration and Finance. Minor in Political Science., 3.25
Hilton Worldwide May 2014 - August 2015
University of Notre Dame September 2010 - July 2015
Customer Service, Leadership, Event Planning, Event Management, Teamwork, Time Management, Access, InDesign, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Analysis, Public Relations, Social Networking, Marketing Strategy, PowerPoint, Social Media, Microsoft Word
Amanda Clardy
Mentor, builder, change agent, innovator
Bachelor's Degree, Finance, General
Clardy Creative Consulting November 2014 - Present
Independa, Inc. March 2014 - October 2014
Life Technologies August 2012 - February 2014
Life Technologies June 2009 - August 2012
Invitrogen April 2006 - June 2009
Invitrogen April 2004 - April 2006
Gateway 1996 - 2003
Corporate Communications, Marketing Strategy, Investor Relations, Marketing Communications, Biotechnology, Commercialization, Mergers, Strategic Planning, Cross-functional Team..., Strategic Partnerships, E-commerce, Lifesciences, CRM, Competitive Analysis, Management, Digital Marketing, Executive Management, Leadership, Product Marketing, Marketing, Strategy, Start-ups, Mergers & Acquisitions, Product Management, Product Launch, Life Sciences, Market Analysis, Market Research, Public Relations
Amanda Helms
Staff Accountant at The HallStar Company
Bachelor of Science, Accounting, Managment and Finance, Senior
Castle High School 2006 — 2010
Academic Honors Diploma
The HallStar Company June 2015 - Present
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Microsoft Office, Accounting, Financial Accounting, Financial Analysis, Bookkeeping, Customer Service, Teamwork, Financial Reporting, Project Management, Management, Close Attention to..., Payroll
Amanda Jobe
Project Manager at Crossroads Church (Cincinnati, OH)
Crossroads Church (Cincinnati, OH) June 2015 - Present
Viva Bella Events, LLC July 2014 - Present
Independent Contractor May 2013 - March 2015
Stress Engineering Services May 2009 - May 2013
Stress Engineering Services May 2008 - August 2008
Sealed Air Corporation May 2007 - August 2007
Assistance in Marketing May 2006 - August 2006
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Five Lingering Questions About Where Urban Meyer and Ohio State Go From Here
Joan Niesen
The announcement of Urban Meyer’s retirement on Tuesday was shocking only in the moment Ohio State chose to drop the news, not in the substance of the news itself, which has been at least a possibility for months. The why of it was evident—health, and perhaps the scandal of this season—and Ohio State quickly made the how of it clear: Ryan Day, the offensive coordinator who coached the team during Meyer’s September suspension, will be promoted. Meyer will stay on through the Rose Bowl. There will be no coaching search, no wild speculation about why this happened now and what it means.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t questions facing both Ohio State and Meyer, no matter how neatly disseminated the news might have been. Here are the five most pressing concerns going forward:
Is this it for Urban Meyer as a coach?
This is it—until it isn’t. We’ve been through this with Meyer before, in 2009 at Florida, and then again in 2010, when his decision stuck for a season. This time around, the coach is calling it a retirement, rather than a resignation, but even that language proffers only a weak argument that Meyer is finished coaching for good.
He’s 54, still relatively young, and though the arachnoid cyst on his brain seemed to be exhibiting painful symptoms this season, the condition isn’t something life threatening—and, more crucially, those symptoms will likely subside with some minimal medical intervention. Meyer will start feeling better, and then he’ll get bored, fast; he’s not the kind of retired coach fans will get accustomed to seeing out for a grocery run or at the local car wash. My best guess is that Meyer will end up in some kind of advisory position to a program, but I wouldn’t rule out another TV gig or full-blown coaching stint. And don’t kid yourself: Neither Meyer’s health issues nor his inept handling of the Zach Smith situation will be a barrier to him re-entering the industry.
How will Day tweak the coaching staff in the short and long term?
Almost as soon as Day’s promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach was announced in conjunction with Meyer’s retirement, multiple reports surfaced that Day would be retaining at least several key members of the Buckeyes’ coaching staff, including (according to Yahoo! Sports) strength coach Mickey Marotti, personnel director Mark Pantoni, director of operations Brian Voltolini and player development director Ryan Stamper. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s minimal coaching turnover in Columbus this year to ease the transition and offer some continuity for the first-year head coach.
But to assume that the staff will stay static in the seasons to come is to overlook Day’s background: Despite having a history with Meyer—he was a grad assistant at Florida in 2005—this is a coach who’s a relative outsider to the Buckeyes’ system. If everything were humming along perfectly, then maybe there’d be less impetus for change, but if Greg Schiano’s defense doesn’t do an about-face, fast, major adjustments could be looming. Which brings us to the next question.
How will the Buckeyes address their shortcomings on defense?
This year’s defense was the worst unit Ohio State has fielded during Meyer’s tenure as coach in Columbus. It was the No. 67 defense in the FBS in terms of yards allowed, averaging 400.3—a number made all the worse when considering the Buckeyes faced just four top-50 offenses in 2018. Losing top pass rusher Nick Bosa early in the season was a blow, but in past years, Ohio State has been able to move on from injuries without missing a beat. It’s not a talent issue—this unit is loaded with blue-chip recruits—but rather a problem of development that seems to have taken hold since Schiano arrived in ’16. And though this year’s unit struggled more across the board than others of the past few seasons, a trend seems to be developing: Defensively, the Buckeyes look unprepared for teams they should beat on paper nine times out of 10. There was Iowa in 2017 and Purdue and Maryland this year, sloppy performances that cost Ohio State playoff bids. The Buckeyes need to figure out how to stay engaged for lesser opponents and how to limit big plays—and that may take a change on the coaching staff.
Will Dwayne Haskins go pro?
This question has dogged Ohio State fans for much of the season—and the talented redshirt sophomore bolting for the NFL has looked increasingly likely over the course of the past month. That said, it’s still nowhere near certain, and any announcement is unlikely to come until after the Rose Bowl.
Haskins, one of three quarterbacks named as the finalists for this year’s Heisman Trophy, was the brightest spot in a weird season for Ohio State, which posted the FBS’s No. 8 scoring offense. That was thanks in large part to Haskins, who completed 70.2% of his passes (348 of 496) on the year, throwing for 4,580 yards, 47 touchdowns and just eight interceptions—in just his first season of appreciable playing time. (Last year, Haskins played in eight games, but he attempted just 57 throws.)
A month ago, it seemed as if Haskins might benefit from another year at Ohio State to develop further and chase a playoff bid. But his last three games were phenomenal; against Maryland, Michigan and Northwestern, he was a combined 82 of 110 (74.5%), throwing for 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also rushed for three touchdowns against Maryland, salvaging one of the Buckeyes’ worst defensive performances this season and highlighting exactly how much Ohio State needed him this year. Those three games pushed Haskins into serious Heisman consideration, and they also might be an impetus for him to go pro, though the Buckeyes’ elevation of Day, with whom Haskins is comfortable, will provide a level of continuity that might convince the quarterback to give college one more season.
Is there a new team to beat in the Big Ten?
It’s too soon to say. To assume Meyer’s retirement counts the Buckeyes out in the near term is simplistic and premature; this is a team that’s been a juggernaut under any number of coaches. It’s loaded with talent, in a state loaded with talent, where recruits’ allegiance is to a program, not necessarily the man in charge. Just look at what Oklahoma did in a similar situation before the 2017 season, when Bob Stoops retired in June; offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley took over, and the team has made the playoff in both seasons since.
Still, this does introduce an element of uncertainty to Ohio State’s path at a time when Michigan looks as if it’s found its footing under Jim Harbaugh. Yes, the Buckeyes exploited the Wolverines’ elite defense in The Game, but that doesn’t take away from the strides Michigan has made. Plus, Penn State is still lurking, even after a disappointing 2018, even as Trace McSorley moves to the NFL. Michigan may be the more immediate concern, but the Nittany Lions are going to keep dogging the Buckeyes for supremacy, too.
More from College Football
# dwayne haskins nfl
# urban meyer retiring
# urban meyer ohio state
# ohio state buckeyes football
# ohio state football recruiting
# urban meyer press conference
# urban meyer career
# greg schiano
# urban meyer age
# Urban Meyer brain cyst
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Nick Burdi's Injury Is a Reminder of the Cruelest Reality in Baseball
Emma Baccellieri
There might not be any baseball axiom crueler than TINSTAPP, but it stings so much only because it’s so true. It’s been roughly two decades since the acronym was originally coined by one of the founders of Baseball Prospectus—there is no such thing as a pitching prospect—but it feels more real than it ever has. Pitching has never been so good, so rich, so eminently gif-able, and, as part of this package, has never been so tricky to consistently and healthily develop. Baseball has been blessed with an abundance of triple-digit fastballs, wipe-out sliders, and spin-loaded curves; the whole endeavor is literally and figuratively stretching the limits of the human arm. For any individual pitch, beauty and power can be quantified with astonishing precision.
And, yet, the rest of the equation can remain terrifyingly murky. Where do you draw lines around all the terrible dumb luck no one can predict? Whose crazy heat makes him a prospect versus an injury risk? Whose modest development looks reasonable versus disappointing? Who is a reliable pitching prospect? Does such a thing even exist anymore? Can it ever?
TINSTAPP is not particularly fun to embrace. How could it be? It’s fun to watch a guy embarrass every hitter he sees in Double-A. It’s fun to question the radar gun in a tiny old park, because how can a skinny kid you’ve never heard of throw this hard? It’s fun to go wish-casting. It’s not fun to look at any organizational depth chart and remind everyone that half of these pitchers will never make it and a third of them will probably end up with Tommy John surgery and maybe only two or three out of the remaining fraction will actually pitch how they’ve dreamed of pitching. It’s not fun to remind everyone that this whole thing can be fickle and cruel and brutally unyielding.
- Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s easy to ignore, then. It’s easy to look at a guy and believe he simply has to be an exception—he has to be good enough to be a sure bet to make the whole thing work. It was easy to look at Nick Burdi in 2014, the powerful college closer picked in the second round of the draft, and think about all of this. It was easy to watch the insane slider and the flirting-with-triple-digits fastball and believe. You’d have watched him start his first full season in organized ball in Double-A: The Twins apparently believed in him this way, too. And, then, the foundation of faith began to feel a little less solid. TINSTAAP’s first creeping doubts began to poke through. Burdi couldn’t stop walking guys, earning him a demotion down to High-A, and the following year, he couldn’t stay healthy. It was one of the most common stories in baseball, maybe, lived out by dozens and dozens of pitchers each season, names on ranked lists fading out into anonymity, but this didn’t make it any less painful to watch. That slider, man! It was still there. It was all still there for Nick Burdi. And then it wasn’t: Tommy John in 2017, Rule 5 Draft a few months later, a shift to a new club, a recovery that stretched into the next season.
And then it was back. In 10 games in 2019, Burdi was everything he had once been projected to be. He faced 34 batters and struck out 17. (He walked just two.) It sounds ridiculous to declare a happy ending for a rookie, but it felt like one. It was all there. It felt like there was, finally, such thing as a pitching prospect.
And in Game 11, it seemed to disappear.
The Pirates have not announced anything definitive yet; maybe it is not as bad as it looks, though it certainly looks quite bad. But, beyond that, it feels—it feels like a reminder of the cruelest reality in baseball, of a sense of security so flimsy and cheap that it is not a house of cards so much as simply a hologram of one, of the game’s foundational truth that there can be no such thing as any sure thing.
More from MLB
# nick burdi injury
# nick burdi pirates pitcher
# nick burdi pitching prospect
# tommy john surgery
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Small Questions v. 10105
By Rhaenys_Targaryen, February 27, 2016 in General (ASoIaF)
Isobel Harper
Landed Lady
Location:Back in America
16 minutes ago, RumHam said:
It'd be cool to one day get a dragon family tree or at least a list of all the Targaryen dragons and their riders. Though I'd imagine that in universe they're usually not sure who the parents of any given clutch of eggs are. Otherwise Barth's theory that they can change genders shouldn't be so controversial.
One the wiki, there's a list of dragons, of known dragons at least: http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Dragon#Historical_Dragons Their riders (or at least known riders) are also listed.
But you're right. A complete dragon family tree would be pretty sweet. Perhaps in Fire and Blood?
Rhaenys_Targaryen
3 hours ago, RumHam said:
All the Westerosi Targaryen dragons were descended from those three, yes.
Where is that stated?
RumHam
2 hours ago, Rhaenys_Targaryen said:
I dunno that it is ever explicitly stated. The closest thing that springs to mind is the line LV mentioned about the Dragonpit's construction. But if we accept that Balerion, Vhagar and Meraxes were the last three dragons in the world at the time of the conquest then it's an inescapable conclusion isn't it? Barring something similar to Daenerys' petrified eggs hatching, which I do believe was a special occurrence. In other words under normal conditions I don't think really old eggs someone found would hatch.
4 minutes ago, RumHam said:
Well, not exactly. Aenar brought five dragons with him, and who's to say that he didn't bring eggs with him either? By the time of the Conquet, Balerion, Vhagar and Meraxes might have been the only three dragons alive (which is never explicitly stated, as far as I can currently recall - think about the 'wild' dragons living on Dragonstone at the start of the Dance), but there might have been eggs from the previous four dragons still left on Dragonstone, or even from Valyria, unhatched, from which one of the other dragons known to us eventually hatched.
The quote mentioned by LV only displays the situation as Maegor witnessed it (can "their get" only indicate "offspring", or can it also mean "those like them", or something similar, indicating all other dragons, regardless of who laid the eggs?).. But Maegor died within a few years, and whatever eggs hatched after his death, he cannot have known which eggs laid by which dragons that would be.
28 minutes ago, Rhaenys_Targaryen said:
I'm quite sure at one point Balerion, Vhagar and Meraxes were the last three. I don't buy the smallfolk stories of cannibal being on Dragonstone before the Targaryens came. I think they're just Targaryen dragons that for whatever reason were never claimed. This quote for example makes it pretty clear they were the only three at one point:
Of the five dragons who had flown with Aenar the Exil from Valyria, only one survived to Aegon’s day: the great beast called Balerion, the Black Dread. The remaining two dragons—Vhagar and Meraxes—were younger, hatched on Dragonstone itself.
Yeah, I suppose there could have been eggs left over from some of the other four dragons who came from Valyria. But how old is the fourth oldest Targaryen dragon? (Quicksilver or Vermithor maybe?) I get that dragons are magical creatures, but I think it's unlikely that some old egg hatched years after it was laid. (again with Daenery's situation being a "one time magical event" that had been prophesied as "waking dragons from stone.") So i'd say it's not 100% certain (unless it is and we just can't remember the quote) but it's extremely likely.
Also the five dragons brought from Valyria were probably all related. So even if one of the unnamed dragons egg's did hatch after it had died the baby dragon would still likely be related to Balerion and the others, if not descended from them.
Yeah, that quote makes it rather clear. Thanks, I couldn't recall that one for a moment
Hmm.. I don't think we have a quote regarding how long an egg might be in someone's possesion until it hatches. Aegon II's twins receive eggs in the cradle and these appear to hatch rather quickly, but we have no further descriptions. However, for each of the children (Jacaerys, Lucerys, Joffrey, Aegon, Viserys, Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, Maelor) there already appear to be eggs ready to be handed out. Did it happen every single time that a dragon coincidentally had laid a clutch of eggs around the time of the birth of a Targaryen child?
Lord Varys
Most Devious 'Man' In The Seven Kingdoms
Location:Definitely somewhere in King's Landing
@Isobel Harper
Laena's line actually survived. Both Baela and Rhaena had issue, and it seems as if the current Velaryons are direct descendants of Alyn and Baela wheres Rhaena's six daughters by Garmund may have carried the blood of the dragon into six other noble lines. And, in fact, it is all but confirmed that at least one such descendant was reabsorbed back into the main Targaryen line (Aelinor Penrose). And if Ronnel Penrose is also a descendant of Rhaena and Garmund then Elaena's four children by him (one of which was even Laena!) are also descended from her.
As to additional/missing dragons:
I think there is a very good reason to assume that the elder sons of Aenys I, Aegon and Viserys, also were dragonriders from childhood on, and subsequently they would have had their own dragons.
The age and size of Vermithor (biggest and oldest Targaryen dragon alive after the death of Vhagar) creates some serious contradictions.
First Dreamfyre should technically have been at least older (if not also bigger) than Vermithor due to the fact that she was Rhaena's dragon who was eleven years older than Jaehaerys, making it unlikely that her dragon should have been younger than Jaehaerys unless there is a good explanation for this.
My attempt at an explanation is that Rhaena originally did not ride Dreamfyre but another dragon who died. I think it might have been killed by the Faith Militant when the rebels interrupted the royal progress and eventually besieged Rhaena and Aegon at Crakehall Castle. During the same time Prince Aegon's own original dragon might have been killed, too, explaining why he ended up riding his father's dragon Quicksilver during his war against Maegor.
This way we could also explain why the hell Rhaena did not support Aegon on her own dragon during the Battle Above the Gods Eye and why she was later forced to (and able) to hide herself and her twin daughters on Fair Isle - because her dragon was already dead. If it had been alive she either would have died alongside Aegon and Quicksilver, one assumes, or she would have fled from Maegor on dragonback rather than trying to hide (which she would not have been able to do in the company of a dragon).
The dragon of Prince Viserys could easily have been killed by Maegor after he took the boy hostage and made him his squire (to prove a point or ensure that he would not escape) or later on when Maegor had Viserys killed.
Dreamfyre would then be Rhaena's second dragon - just as Quicksilver would have been Aegon's second dragon - given to her by Maegor in an attempt to show the Realm that the death of Visenya did not reduce the dragonriders Maegor controlled to himself on Balerion.
In addition, there are also the elder dragons during the Dance - Meleys and Caraxes - who both could have had riders prior to Princess Rhaenys and Prince Daemon, respectively. If Meleys was handed down through the ages her first rider actually could have been Alyssa Velaryon, handing down her dragon to her (great-)granddaughter when she died in the 70s (which could easily have been the time during which she died). Caraxes could originally have been ridden by Daemon's mother, Princess Alyssa, if we assume she died early (perhaps in childbirth).
And we of course have every reason to believe that Balerion, Vhagar, Dreamfyre may have had additional riders before they were claimed by Prince Viserys, Laena Velaryon, and Princess Helaena. Dreamfyre might have been ridden by Prince Baelon and/or Lady Aemma Arryn (after she became Viserys' wife and/or only when she became queen) before passing to Helaena. Vhagar could have been ridden by Prince Aemon (explaining how she ended up with his granddaughter, Laena Velaryon), and Balerion might have belonged to one of Jaehaerys' younger children before he passed to Prince Viserys.
@RumHam
I'd agree with you that there is only a very small chance that the Cannibal is/was not a Targaryen dragon, and 'The Sons of the Dragons' does not suggest that the Targaryens were messing with dragons during the days of the Conqueror. Gyldayn tells us that half a dozen dragons hatched during the reign of Aegon I - one of which would have been Quicksilver - and later on two others hatched when Aenys I named Maegor Hand.
The custom to put dragon eggs in the cradles of children or hand them to Targaryen children was apparently not known/practiced in the days of the Conqueror, either, because it is especially stated that Prince Aenys was given a dragon hatchling at the age of three, and Prince Maegor apparently never bonded with a dragon because he was never given an egg or a hatchling in his early childhood and later on he rejected all those 'lesser dragons'.
I'd assume that the Cannibal is either a dragon who hatched on Dragonstone prior to the Conquest or that he is one of the six hatchlings who hatched during the days of Aegon I. Sheepstealer might be one of them, too, but if he was one would assume he only hatched late during the reign of the Conqueror - or one of the two dragons who hatched during Aenys I's reign. All we know about him is that he hatched 'when the Old King was still young'. That could refer to the reign of Aegon I, Aenys I, Maegor I, or Jaehaerys I himself. We just don't know.
My gut feeling would be that a few dragons might have died during the reign of Aenys I and Maegor I - both due to the violence/fighting as well as due to the Cannibal's attacks on the hatcheries of Dragonstone. Some dragons were supposedly killed by the Cannibal and one assumes that this only happened during a time of chaos when nobody was guarding the hatcheries on the island (and no adult dragons like Vhagar and Balerion were around). I also doubt that Jaehaerys I didn't have the foresight to actually protect the young dragons against the Cannibal after he had taken the throne.
Grey Ghost seems to be the youngest of the wild dragons. Considering that nobody knew where he lived during the Dance he could even have hatched during the reign of Viserys I or the later half of the reign of Jaehaerys I.
The five dragons Aenar brought to Dragonstone are trickier. We don't know how old or big they were, nor do we know how long they lived. But it seems to be the case that there were no other dragons or dragonriders on Dragonstone besides the Targaryen siblings and their dragons by the time of the Conquest. And if that's correct then the best conclusion is indeed that all the younger dragons beginning with Quicksilver are the descendants of Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar.
@Rhaenys_Targaryen
The question how and how quickly a dragon egg hatches prompts the question how dragons actually fertilize their eggs. Do they have some sort of physical intercourse or does the male dragon only later fertilize the eggs the female has laid? We don't know that yet.
However, my idea would be that under normal circumstances a female dragons gets her eggs fertilized somehow and the natural way then is for the female to make a nest and sit on the eggs until the hatchlings come forth. Due to the Targaryens having 'the blood of the dragon' dragon eggs might have also hatched when they were kept warm and near a Targaryen but one would assume that this wasn't exactly the ideal way to get an egg to hatch.
We know that Syrax repeatedly produces clutches of eggs during the reign of Viserys I - most likely fertilized by either Seasmoke and/or Caraxes, and it seems that all the eggs given to Jace, Luke, Joff, Aegon the Younger, Baela and Rhaena came from those clutches. Those three eggs Rhaena took with her to the Vale were Syrax's, too, and from one of those Morning apparently eventually hatched.
Whether the eggs from which Sunfyre, Tessarion, Morghul, and Shrykos came were Syrax's we do not know - Viserys I certainly would have had the authority to bestow the eggs of Rhaenyra's dragon on his children and grandchildren but it could be that other dragons had eggs during that time as well (say, Silverwing fertilized by Vermithor).
Edited May 2, 2016 by Lord Varys
18 minutes ago, Lord Varys said:
But their line is no longer related to the main Targaryen line.
Tysha's New Man
Not sure if this was ever resolved but was there ever an explanation for why Aerys and his wife couldn't produce another child right after Rhaegar was born? According to tWoIaF, there were many miscarriages, stillborns or children that died before a year old. Why were they able to produce a child as strong as Rhaegar but couldn't do so until Viserys?
Lord Wraith
The Most Sentimental Reader in the Forums
Location:From there to here, from here to there
3 hours ago, Tysha's New Man said:
Nothing confirmed. One at least was apparently poisoned. Some people suspect the Maesters might have had a hand in it. Or it could be the result of Targaryen incest. Or just bad luck. It does seem suspicious to me the half a dozen or so failed attempts.
The Snow Bear
More a language thing:
Could the infamous "shrouds" also mean a veil worn to hide a disfigured/cut face?
MtnLion
The Mountain that Runs
9 hours ago, The Snow Bear said:
Burial shrouds.
19 hours ago, Lord Varys said:
You raise an interesting topic with Rhaena. Her hatchling died several years before 129 AC.. Was she immediately given a new egg (or all three eggs), or was that only when she was sent to the Vale? How long did she pray over her eggs? When during the war was Morning born? All questions, the answers of which could shed more light on the issue. Perhaps, Fire and Blood will reveal something in this regard..
We know that Maelor was given his egg at birth, and that it hadn't hatched yet by 129 AC (nor, does it appear to be the case, by 130 AC, at Maelor's death). That's a three year range where an egg is in someone's possession and hasn't hatched yet. Though, of course, we don't know if Maelor's egg ever would have hatched, had he held it in his possession long enough.
1 hour ago, MtnLion said:
Well yes that's what comes first into the mind, but is this the only possible meaning?
6 minutes ago, The Snow Bear said:
Gold their crowns,
Gold their shrouds.
CJ McLannister
Of course not. Prophecy is always fluid. If it gets too specific, it doesn't work.
I think it's telling that Rhaena was given an egg from a freshly laid clutch after her hatchling died. They didn't just give her an older egg that was laying around.
Viserys II's egg also never hatched, and I get the impression that after a certain amount of time it was accepted that it never would. He still carried it around with him, but he was a young kid so who knows why. Maybe he hoped it would still hatch, but that doesn't mean it was actually still a possibility.
By all rights, the year 122 AC should have been a joyous one for House Targaryen. Princess Rhaenyra took to the birthing bed once more, and gave her uncle Daemon a second son, named Viserys after his grandsire. The child was smaller and less robust than his brother Aegon and his Velaryon half brothers, but proved to be a most precocious child … though, somewhat ominously, the dragon’s egg placed in his cradle never hatched. The greens took that for an ill omen and were not shy about saying as much.
It's not totally clear when the greens started talking about Viserys' egg not hatching, but I think it should have been fairly close to 122AC. Certainly before hostilities broke out.
I had forgotten that Prince Viserys also had an egg. He would have had his most likely from birth, too, but it never hatched for some reason. I imagine Rhaena's egg hatched around the same time as Baela's meaning that her dragon would have been about as old as Moondancer by the time of the Dance had it lived. But that's just a guess.
Rhaena would then have been given her three eggs only when she left for the Vale. One assumes that this was a precautionary measure to prevent dragon eggs from falling in the hands of the Greens.
How old all Jace, Luke, Joff, Aegon, Jaehaerys, and Jaehara were when their eggs hatched we don't know, either. But it seems Morghul and Shrykos were about the size or slightly smaller than Dany's dragons are right now considering that they could still be killed be pretty easily. That could mean they were only 2-3 years old in 130 AC.
Stormclould wouldn't have been much older - he certainly wasn't bigger.
However, if we consider the weirdo dragon sex changing thing then actually Vhagar could have been the father of Syrax's eggs - at least of the first clutch(es) from which Vermax, Arrax, Tyraxes, Moondancer, and Rhaena's dead dragon came from. After all, we know that Laena and Rhaenyra were apparently very close after Laena and Daemon settled on Driftmark, and they often visiting each other on dragonback. The eggs going to Aegon the Younger and Prince Viserys might have been fertilized by Caraxes considering that it makes sense to assume Caraxes and Syrax would have been very close after Rhaenyra and Daemon had married each other.
If the whole mating dance thing between Seasmoke and Tessarion is true during Second Tumbleton then Seasmoke might never have fertilized eggs prior to that point (would make sense since Rhaenyra and Laenor were never close and never spent much time together).
Another really interesting question would be who the hell did have intercourse with Vermax if she (?) laid any eggs at Winterfell. Perhaps Moondancer, perhaps Arrax or Tyraxes?
To clarify it seems Rhaena was given one egg "recently" at the start of the dance, from a fresh clutch laid by Syrax. I think this is important because it might suggest they had to wait for a fresh batch of eggs. They didn't just give her one that was laying around right after her first one had died.
The other two were apparently given to her later, probably out of desperation or as Lord Varys suggests to keep the hatch-able eggs out of the hands of their enemies.
Rhaena’s egg had hatched a broken thing that died within hours of emerging from the egg, Syrax had recently produced another clutch. One of her eggs had been given to Rhaena, and it was said that the girl slept with it every night, and prayed for a dragon to match her sister’s.
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When is 'The World Of Ice and Fire' coming out?
By Tyrionthebest, May 4, 2012 in The World of Ice and Fire
King o' the Board
Ah, well, yes then, I think that was what he was referring to. :)
mudcrab
Location:Vvardenfell
That's disappointing that there won't be more on ancient history, but will there be any info on the as of yet mostly unrevealed east? Like Yi-Ti, Asshai, and the Jade Sea areas?
Didn't say there won't be more ancient history, just that there's not going to be tons more.
There'll be a bit about those regions, yes.
Free Northman
I think a distinction can be made between Ancient History - like the Dawn Age, the Age of Heroes and the Long Night - which Martin will want to keep vague for obvious reasons, and Pre Conquest history - which would be more information on the Seven Kingdoms prior to Aegon's Conquest.
Pre Conquest History would cover the formation of the Seven Kingdoms after the Long Night. Here we could hopefully get some detail on the Wars between the Andals and the First Men, and things like the history of some of the notable Kings of Winter, how the North's kingdom grew, the last regions to hold out (like the Boltons), and significant wars between the various regions, such as the 1000 year war between the North and the Vale.
Did the North ever go to war with the Reach? Did the Storm King try and extend his rule past the Neck?
I would really like if we get that type of info, which does not touch on too much of the legendary or magical stuff that he might want to keep hidden for plot reasons.
Rodrik of Dorne
Exactly. I hope we get some detail on the other pre-conquest dynasties, like the River Kings and Storm Kings.
Edit: Also, I guess there were multiple dynasties adopting the titles of River Kings, and even Storm Kings, like the Andal conquerors, adopting the same tittles used by the kings of the first men.
Sorry, when I said ancient I meant pre-conquest, I forgot that the conquest was just 400 years ago.
The War of Conquest was 300 years ago. The Doom was 400 years ago.
I feel stupid now. :P
Werthead
Social Justice Robot from the Future
Location:Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom
Do you know if the world map will be reusing the Lands of Ice and Fire maps, or perhaps a different artist?
Different artist! Or possibly artists.
Ran, since we are talking about maps:
Will the updated map of the North include a more detailed map of the settlements in the North - e.g. House Ryswell's keep, some villages on the Stoney shore (Brandon the Shipwright had to have a sizeable port on the west coast to launch his Sunset Sea fleet of ships from, after all, Castle Cerwyn, the villages of the Norreys, Wulls, Liddle etc. in the mountains, the Keep of House Hornwood etc?
The point is, we know there isn't just nothing between Winterfell and Torhenn Square, or between the Last Hearth and the Dreadfort.
We know that Lord Manderly has a dozen lords sworn to him - each with a Castle and villages under their rule. He also has 100 landed knights under him, and we know there are knightly Houses in the south that can raise 1000 armed men, so each of these landed knights would also have a keep and villages under him - like the Cleganes do, for example.
When Arya was travelling through the Riverlands we got zoomed in maps of a lot of the smaller towns and villages in parts of the Riverlands.
Can we expect to see a "more settled" picture of the North at some point, to dispell this idea that the few strongholds shown so far are pretty much the only settlements in the 1 million square miles of northern territory? Because we know there are plenty of other settlements - Probably as many as 5000 - 10,000 small villages spread throughout the vastness of the North, as was the norm for agriculture based medieval societies like Russia under the Tsars for example.
Not to my knowledge. The book isn't really going to focus on these things.
Ice Turtle
... and something unimaginative
I would love to know more about governing structure of Braavos, but that is probably for the next Arya chapters. Anyway any more of the Stark history recent or ancient is great.
Valmorfëa
Location:The City of Light
Free Northman - I've been reading through the Citadel and So Spake Martin entries, and there's some information there that might answer some of your questions. Admittedly, there's a lot of information to sift through (I'm still in 2002...) but there's much more than in the Wiki. From what I've gathered so far, Martin doesn't think specific details concerning army size, time frames, etc, are that relevant. He hasn't specified that information even for himself. Here's one link http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1200/ where he gives a vague description. If you go back from there, I remember reading more information on army sizes and populations.
Jaegon Targaryen
Damn these Targaryen fan boys/girls as if we didn't have enough of their history already
Well, I guess its pointless to ask for more "ancient history", since ancient history is nothing more but legends (and its cool that way). I'm not saying that Bran the Builder was not real, just that he's part of the realm of legend (two different things). However, I guess it would be great to know more about the kingdoms that the Targaryen conquered. We need to know more about the Kings of the Rivers and the Hills, and the Storm Kings.
Sand Flower in the Snow
Location:WV
I am actually more interested in Ice and Fire genealogies. There are a lot of holes when researching who was who's mother/father, etc., etc. Plus, we have what seems to be like 100's of Bran Starks.
Is there a possibility of a filling of any geneaology holes?
Oh yes. There'll be a family tree or six. Not sure the total number as of yet.
Oh Thank You, Ran!!!!!!!!!!! You don't know how much you brighten my day! When I get bored working (basically, not wanting to work period), I click "Random Page" on the Wiki and just see what pops up. It always drives me batty when I look at the family trees. Then, my paranoia kicks in and whispers that I am missing important information that will let me in on need to know stuff.
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